Bird protection
How to make window panes safer for animals
A yellow-bellied sparrow sits at the window.
© Marut Sayannickroth/Shutterstock.com
Millions of birds die every year from collisions with windows. But there are ways to protect the animals.
Every year countless birds die because they crash into window panes. According to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), around 100 million birds die every year in Germany alone as a result of such collisions. This is a problem that is at least partially avoidable, especially given the already dramatic extent of bird deaths. Even simple measures can help to protect songbirds from dying on glass panes.
The problem: Glass is invisible to birds. They believe they can fly through it. Reflections in window panes also create the illusion of silhouettes of trees and bushes or the open sky. At night, illuminated windows, especially on taller buildings, become a problem for the animals. To prevent this, panes of glass must be visible to them.
Make windows visible from the outside and inside
As a cost-effective solution, NABU recommends fly screens attached to the outside of the window, cord curtains, window paint or milky adhesive strips. The distances between marking elements should not be greater than a hand’s width so that a bird does not try to fly through the supposed gap. The color orange appears to be particularly effective.
From the inside, light curtains, blinds, roller blinds or similar can make the windows visible to birds. The animals often do not recognize dark fabrics.
Stickers – yes or no?
Everyone has probably seen the typical black bird of prey stickers on glass panes. According to researchers from Vienna However, these are ineffective. They have tried out various stickers and found that vertical stripes or rows of dots on the windows work particularly well. Birds can recognise such recurring patterns even when flying at high speeds.
It can also be helpful not to clean the windows. Sparkling clean windows are difficult for birds to see as an obstacle.
If you want to let off some steam artistically, you can also paint the window panes from the inside, for example with washable chalk – a fun activity especially for children.
What to do with a disc victim?
If a bird does fly into the window, you should carefully place the animal in a closed box with air holes. Do not give the animal any water or food! If the bird has recovered after one or two hours, you can release it in a protected place. If not, you should notify a veterinarian.
To be on the safe side, only touch dead birds with gloves or an inside-out plastic bag and either dispose of them in the household waste or bury them in the garden.