G’day all, Just tossing around some ideas today for devices that might prevent birds from flying into windows.
I wonder if anyone has come across anything that has worked in preventing this.
Any ideas or suggestions will be gratefully received.
Cheers, Chris Watson Alice Springs
Hi A friend got some of these, he thinks, but states there is a window life of about 3 months and they need replacing. Are these the same ?? Cheers Chris
Encourage Orb Weavers to set up their webs in front of windows as birds can see the UV reflection, ha ha.
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observed birds colliding with them or attacking their reflections.
My apologies, that should have read:
“…are NOT completely clean … ”
Kind regards, Stephen
Dr Stephen Ambrose Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd Ryde NSW
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Hi Chris,
I’ve been doing quite a lot of research into this topic over the last two years as part of my consultancy work. The most authoritative source of information is the following scientific paper:
Klem Jr, Dan (2009). Preventing bird-window collisions. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121 (2): 314-321. http://www.windowcollisions.info/public/klem_preventing_2009_e.pdf.
UV light is visible to birds but not to humans. Therefore, the most effective means of reducing the incidence of bird-window collisions is the use of glass panes that are coated on one side with a UV-reflective or UV-absorptive film. You can also purchase UV-reflective decals that can be adhered to window panes, which are barely visible to humans, but very visible to birds.
Anthea’s suggestion of retaining a film of dust/dirt on windows is also quite effective. I first learnt about this in the early 1980s when I was doing my Ph.D research at the Eyre Bird Observatory. The wardens, Peter & Di Congreve never had birds hitting the large kitchen or living room windows because the windows were seldom cleaned. I’ve since ensured that large windows in homes that I’ve lived in are completely clean and I’ve never observed birds colliding with them or attacking their reflections.
Kind regards, Stephen
Dr Stephen Ambrose Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd Ryde NSW
Chris, there used to be a recurring problem with a magpie-lark attacking its reflection in the mirrored window of the Edithvale Wetlands bird hide. The falcon sillhouette didn’t stop it, and neither did the dangling CDs. But the rubber snakes on the window sill did the trick better than anything else had…
Dear Chris, 1. Keep the windows obscured with a good layer of dirt. 2. Hang up shade-cloth on the outside of the windows (then you can still see through to some extent. 3. Cut out a flying hawk or falcon shape and stick it to the window. My template came from a BOCA website.
I occasionally use method 3 for a day or two, when the resident White-browed Scrubwren is too persistent about attacking his refection. He then stays away for weeks.
Spotted Doves fly full-tilt into our windows at times. Fortunately they seem to bounce off unharmed. We have also had a Kookaburra (survived, but I can’t believe the window did) and an Azure Kingfisher, which bounced off and crash-landed in a garden-bed across the courtyard and had to be rescued from a very interested cat. Full recovery and release after a short stay in a shoe-box.
These accidents come about when the sky is heavily clouded and sky and tree reflections in windows are very convincing, or when there are large windows on both sides of a room and it looks as if birds could fly straight through. Drawing a curtain will then help.
Anthea Fleming
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