Top > Business > 2006 > September > 2006-09-23

Helping Birds Avoid Windows

It has been shown, in study after study, that birds just do not see windows. In some situations, the window is transparent, and a bird is not aware there is an obstacle in its flight path. In other situations, windows are reflectors of the outdoors - reflecting trees, clouds and other aspects of the landscape that birds perceive as real, perhaps leading them to open space or a sheltering tree.

Sharon Dunn, president of Duncraft says, "Window strikes are such an enormous problem, especially for nocturnally migrating birds. Thousands of birds traveling at night are disoriented by the illuminated windows of tall city buildings, as well as the clouds and sky reflected in them by day. Birds fly right into these windows and the death toll is tragic. Duncraft urges awareness of this problem with the hope for a long term, viable solution. Our mission is to educate and assist backyard birding enthusiasts with the prevention of window strikes in a residential setting."

In an attempt to increase the ability of birds to avoid this deadly obstacle, Duncraft`s Living with Nature catalog is now offering reflective window alert decals, hawk decals, and feather guards. Feather guards are designed to minimize reflections on windows, create a frightening presence, or deter birds from the area with moving, fluttering activity. "Birds see much better than humans, and to them the very bright shapes break up reflections and turn an invisible window into a solid object," Dunn says.