Reflective Home Windows - Photo: Dee Renee Ericks

People ‘see’ glass because we understand buildings. Birds need strong clues on or around glass to warn them that it’s there.

Short Term Measures to Prevent Window Collisions

Here are some easy, economical ways to help birds see your windows:

Create patterns on reflective glass surfaces. Quantity and spacing matter: multiple markings 2” to 4” apart are recommended. A bar of soap, oil-based Sharpie drawings, and tempera paint are excellent markers on glass.
Install external screens on windows
Close blinds or curtains
Move interior plants away from windows
Place bird feeders directly on windows

**PATTERNS ON GLASS**
Many exterior surface applications can make glass more visible to birds.

Treatment can be permanent (an etched pattern) or it can be temporary (markers, tape, decals).

Spacing matters – about 2”-4” spacing is recommended.
*Photo: University of British Columbia*

**EXTERNAL SCREENS**
Window screens greatly reduce reflections. If a bird does fly towards the glass, a screen creates a protective barrier, decreasing the likelihood of injury.
*Photo courtesy Darrin Henein, Unsplash*

**CLOSE BLINDS**
Light colored interior blinds can be helpful when you have a see-through effect like a sun room or adjoining corner windows. Blinds or curtains can help break up exterior reflections. If blinds aren’t enough to stop collisions, consider an exterior treatment.
*Photo: courtesy Unsplash*

**MOVE PLANTS AWAY FROM WINDOWS**
Birds see house plants through the glass and try to fly to or through them.
*Photo: Courtesy Nathan Fertig, Unsplash*

Bird Feeder on window by Shutterstock — **WINDOW FEEDERS**
One of the simplest things you can do at a picture window is to place a feeder directly on the glass. This brings birds delightfully close – generally too close to cause harm if they are startled. Move bird feeders & bird baths far away from windows (>30 feet) or close to (<3 feet) windows.
*Photo: Finch on feeder, Shutterstock*

The goal of these glass options is to create a visual cue to help birds detect and avoid glass.

The key to creating bird-friendly glass is to create a visible pattern that breaks up transparent or reflective areas of glass. Bird will perceive that they cannot fit through the transparent or reflective areas and avoid it.

**WINDOW PAINTS**
Use Tempera Paints for colorful window designs.
*Photo: courtesy Unsplash*

**SHARPIE SECRET!**
To remove Sharpie oil-based paint marks, apply a small amount of acetone, isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol to a cotton ball or pad. Lightly dab the affected surface to dissolve the paint marking.
*Photo: Dee Renee Ericks*

Long Term Options for Preventing Window Strikes

*Feather Friendly*® *dot pattern bird tape*
*Photo: Dee Renee Ericks*

Apply patterns or decals to the outside of windows close together (2”-4” apart), such as:

ColilidEscape High Performance™ bird tape, and dot pattern ,

Feather Friendly® dot pattern tape,

WindowAlert® ultraviolet decals, or Birds Eye View®

Apply a window film such as: CollidEscape™ or Solyx® to the outside of the window.
Create stripes on outside of a window, at least 1/8 “ vertical white tape, 4” apart; CollideEscape™ bird tape is an option.
Vertical stripes : ¼ inch wide with a maximum spacing of 4 inches, and horizontal stripes at least ¼ inch wide, maximum spacing of 2 inches have been effective at preventing strikes of most birds.

**DANGLING DECOR**
Hanging cords, strings or ribbons in front of your windows can be effective and unobtrusive. Make them yourself, or order a product like ***Acopian BirdSavers***™ which are custom-made based on the size of your window(s).
Another product is ***Bird Crash Preventer™***, a curtain of monofilament (fishing) lines spaced 3" apart covering the exterior of a window.
*Photo: Dee Renee Ericks*

A local source for some of the products mentioned above is Wild Birds Unlimited® located in Gardiner, Washington. They currently carry the UV paint pens called WindowAlert® UV Liquid, WindowAlert® ultraviolet decals, and Feather Friendly® tape. Contact them at (360) 797-7100 to check for availability.

(Note: No window product can guarantee elimination of window collisions. Results will vary depending on local bird populations, landscape conditions, product used, and building design. We are providing these product suggestions as a convenience, and there are many more that may work in a similar way to suit your needs.)

Bird Collisions with Glass

Solutions for Home

Short Term Measures to Prevent Window Collisions

Long Term Options for Preventing Window Strikes