Help your feathered friends avoid dangerous window collisions

By Mary June Emerson

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

Not long ago, we had the opportunity to expand our small, semi-enclosed back porch into a much larger, finished all-weather room.

It has been great over the years. A really nice place for family gatherings, eating or reading a good book when the weather is just too cold or wet to go outside.

I especially like that three sides of the room are all glass windows/doors and I can view all of the seasons panoramically as I sit in comfort (spring, summer, winter or fall).

Like so many of you, one of my passions is to feed and watch the birds (which I have done for many years). So, what better place to put the bird feeders than 15 feet or so, right outside these windows, right?

This way I could enjoy them fairly close up without disturbing their feeding or bathing and I will say except for one big problem, it has worked beautifully.

One day when I was standing at the kitchen sink I heard a thud, as if something had hit the window. I went to check, and sure enough, a small finch was lying on the ground, quite stunned and twitching.

I put on gloves and carefully scooped it up to see what the damage was.

Luckily, it was just shaken and after a few minutes of warming its body and offering a little water, it came around and I was able to release it.

I examined the windows, and sure enough, a smudge with a few yellow feathers indicated the area of impact.

It was a sunny day, and even though the feeders are on the north side of the porch, I quickly realized the reason for the collision.

As I gazed at the porch windows from outside the house, it looked as if the surrounding landscape just kept going. The reflection was so strong, and on a sunny day it was even stronger.

No wonder the little guy got confused and flew directly into what he thought was open air.

Well, since that day, I have rescued or “put to rest” several more little birds that have collided with the windows.

Obviously this was a real dilemma, and I was determined to find a way to resolve the problem so the birds would be safe. Upon researching for answers I found several suggestions, which I will share.

Place feeders 30 feet or more away from the windows or 3 feet or closer to windows.

Create a feeding station for ground-eating birds (either a low tray feeder or scatter feed on the ground), then surround the area with low shrubs for cover.

Cover windows with black plastic garden netting, which breaks up the reflection.

Cover the window with light-weight trellis (wooden or plastic) with large enough openings that don’t block your view.

Try film patters or UV stickers/pens to draw grids on windows that humans can’t see, but the birds will see.

During migration (April-June, August-November), reduce outside lighting and close drapes.

For additional detailed information and ideas for preventing bird collisions around your home and garden, visit http://go.osu.edu/birdwindows.