‘It’s the job that’s never started as takes the longest to finish’.
These wise words are spoken by Samwise Gamgee in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic Lord of the Rings and are a call for action over procrastination. We’ve worked hard to make Ashland Nature Center a great place for birds and other wildlife, including landscaping with native plants and minimizing light pollution. However, the main building housing our visitor center and offices needs some attention. Like many nature centers, Ashland has a lot of windows so that our staff and visitors can enjoy watching the natural world. Unfortunately, birds sometimes fly into the glass. Although this doesn’t happen very often, DelNature has decided to make our windows bird-friendly as a direct conservation action.
The problem with windows
Dr. Daniel Klem of Muhlenberg College, in Allentown PA, is a pioneer in raising awareness of the threat that windows present to birds. Unlike humans, birds cannot see glass, so they may fly head-first into a transparent window they didn’t see – particularly if they are frantically trying to evade an agile hawk. Large numbers of migrating birds have died after flying into tall buildings dominated by windows, especially at night when glass is nearly impossible to see. Birds may also fly into windows because they are heading toward what they think are trees and bushes but is actually their reflection. These strikes may be more common in homes and nature centers since bushes and wildflower patches are often planted close to windows.
Regardless of the cause, the numbers are staggering. A recent study estimates that over one billion birds are killed each year from building collisions, most of which is likely from window strikes. DelNature made a conscious decision to reduce our window strikes and help others do the same by sharing what we learned.
Trying a variety of bird-friendly window designs at Ashland
After consulting the American Bird Conservancy’s Glass Collisions site, the first method we tried was parallel vertical lines of PVC tape. This was inexpensive and easy to apply, and the bold stripes were likely very visible to birds. The problem, however, was that it blocked Ashland’s treasured views of the Red Clay Creek woods.
We then tried several types of window decals, also called ‘clings’, which are inexpensive and easy to apply. These must be placed on the outside of the window to be visible to birds, and don’t stick well when the glass is cold. Also, it’s best to avoid large gaps between decals since birds won’t see these blank spaces and could still fly into them – a few inches apart is recommended. The first type we tried were prismatic spots which were spaced in rows 2 inches apart. Our staff enjoyed the rainbow effect produced when the sun shines through them, but they also restricted the view, albeit less drastically.
The second type were larger nature-themed clings, which are sold as either birds, butterflies or leaves. We received several sets of leaf clings from generous donors via our Amazon wish list – thank you! Our staff liked the appearance of these nature decals and did not think they significantly restricted the view from within.
The third type was an ultra-violet-reflective nature decal made by ‘Window Alert’, an American company that specializes in bird-friendly designs. These were a little more expensive but are very visible to birds because they can see in the UV spectrum. To humans, the decals just look like frosted glass.
Our final option was a grid of small PVC squares made by Feather Friendly, who specialize in bird-friendly windows. Their products can be bought from Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin. The squares are attached to a roll of backing tape which is smoothed down over the window then carefully peeled away to leave the squares behind. We used several parallel lines of tape to make a grid of squares. The squares are also sold in sheets to cover larger windows more efficiently and can be applied by a contractor. This was the most expensive option but will last for many years and has the lowest visibility to humans. Some of our staff said they could barely see the squares until they were up close! So far, we have not experienced any bird strikes in the windows that we have treated, which is encouraging.
Which of these solutions works best for your own home or business depends upon many factors. These include budget, intended longevity, ease of application, and how often you look out of each window. For example, we also tried Acopian bird savers, which are paracord curtains that hang in front of windows. They are apparently very effective at reducing window strikes, but our staff thought they spoiled the view. However, the appearance of bird-friendly designs may not matter if they cover a window that you rarely look out of.
Our goal for Ashland
Our goal is to have some form of protection on every window at Ashland Nature Center. The Feather Friendly squares are the most expensive but are also the most long-lasting and have the lowest visual impact, so we plan to install these on the windows most prone to bird strikes. We plan to use the less expensive nature decals to cover the windows that have few or no bird strikes.
Many of Delaware’s birds are in decline due to problems that exist on a continental scale, such as habitat loss. This makes it easy to feel helpless in the face of problems that seem to be out of your control. However, there are still plenty of ways you can help birds in your own yard. Making your windows bird-friendly is first on the list of Cornell University’s ‘7 simple actions to help birds’! We still have a lot of windows to treat at Ashland, but the first step was the hardest: acknowledging that we had a problem that needed a solution. Now that we have started, we want to help to save birds one window at a time. Join us on this journey and try these simple ways of reducing bird strikes in your own home or business!
Want to help DelNature create a more bird-friendly Ashland Nature Center and beyond? We would love more of the beautiful nature-themed window decals! They are listed near the bottom of our Amazon Wish List.