birds killing themselves by flying into a window.

CamperMan · 31-05-2010 9:50pm #1

we have a mobile home in the countryside, there is one window in particular that the birds just fly at, yesterday 2 were lying there dead after hitting the window.. a thrush and a tit.. how can I prevent this from happening again, it was sad to see that yesterday..

CJhaughey · 31-05-2010 10:37pm

Put a window sticker up on the window, hang a mobile or something in the frame, anything to allow the birds see the glass.

Oliverdog · 31-05-2010 10:37pm

There are probably reflections of trees or mountains to which they are flying. Some people put in decoy hawks, even silhouettes will discourage the birds from flying in that direction. If you are present when it happens, don't give the birds up for dead - sometimes they're only shocked. My wife has kept a small basket of tissues into which she puts the bird to help it from losing body temperature), and blows gently in its face - she's had a lot of success with birds recovering and flying off.

CamperMan · 31-05-2010 10:52pm

these two were lifeless

LostCovey · 31-05-2010 11:25pm

CamperMan wrote: »

we have a mobile home in the countryside, there is one window in particular that the birds just fly at, yesterday 2 were lying there dead after hitting the window.. a thrush and a tit.. how can I prevent this from happening again, it was sad to see that yesterday..

Another simple thing that often works is a stuffed child's toy left on the window, as long it bears some sort of resemblance to a predator (we use Garfield on a window where we had a problem).

It's just enough to make them go another way round.

LostCovey

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 01-06-2010 8:54am

This is actually a very complex problem with no one cause or cure. I have been part of BTO and RSPB surveys on the subject for many years; recording time, sun direction, reflection, fly through impressions etc. To be honest stickers on windows don't really seem to make any difference. Drawn curtain do seem to reduce instances. Sometimes the birds get a reflection and don't realise there is a barrier. Other windows, particualarly if opposite another window on the house give the impression that the bird can fly through the house unhindered. It happens, and it's unfortunate, but practical solutions are rare. Do you want to put a stuffed bear in every window of the house, leave all curtains closed all Summer, put stickers all over every window? Hardly!

LostCovey · 01-06-2010 9:12am

Kylie Polite Bag wrote: »

This is actually a very complex problem with no one cause or cure. I have been part of BTO and RSPB surveys on the subject for many years; recording time, sun direction, reflection, fly through impressions etc. To be honest stickers on windows don't really seem to make any difference. Drawn curtain do seem to reduce instances. Sometimes the birds get a reflection and don't realise there is a barrier. Other windows, particualarly if opposite another window on the house give the impression that the bird can fly through the house unhindered. It happens, and it's unfortunate, but practical solutions are rare. Do you want to put a stuffed bear in every window of the house, leave all curtains closed all Summer, put stickers all over every window? Hardly!

Hi Kylie Polite Bag,

Maybe I wasn't clear enough - I was referring to the one window where this has happened twice on the OP's mobile home. It's one more idea, it worked for me after three collisions at one window.

Where are the results of those BTO & RSPB surveys published?

LostCovey

CamperMan · 01-06-2010 10:12am

it's just the one window that they fly into, the large window at the front

CJhaughey · 01-06-2010 12:49pm

CamperMan wrote: »

it's just the one window that they fly into, the large window at the front

You could hang something off the overhang at the gable end that would swing in front of the window.

Kess73 · 01-06-2010 12:59pm

CamperMan wrote: »

it's just the one window that they fly into, the large window at the front

That window will be hit by a lot of birds. It is wide with nothing to break up the reflection.

Birds will see the reflections of trees etc in it and fly at it, and also birds will see their own reflections and fly at it to chase off the "rival"

From experience both of the below items work well, especially the latter , for the main window of a mobile home or for a conservatory.

http://www.birdfood.ie/product_details.php?area_id=2&group_id=18&nav_id=44&prd_id=378

http://www.birdfood.ie/product_details.php?area_id=2&group_id=18&nav_id=44&prd_id=379

Something like a mobile or windchime could be hung inside the window to try and break up the open view.

None of the above would be able to completely stop strikes, but you could
reduce strikes by half or more.

Looking at the picture, it seems that your main window is in Southern to South westerly direction, if so, then it will catch a lot of light during the course of a day, so your only practical choices are to either do nothing, or to go down the sticker/stuffed toy/mobile route.

Closing the curtains all day is not practical and would not prevent a reflective surface all day long.

CamperMan · 01-06-2010 6:10pm

kess73, the front window is facing kind of north, I have ordered some stickers to put in the window and also put a few other items in the window.. someone on another site suggested hanging bird feeders, so hung 2 up close to the window...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 01-06-2010 7:50pm

Yes the reflection is very strong. Stickers and close the cutains will do the job.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 01-06-2010 7:53pm

LostCovey wrote: »

Where are the results of those BTO & RSPB surveys published?

In a few Nature journals. All very localised within the associations really. Not everything is available on the Internet I'm afraid. The research, like all good research, is ongoing and will cover 10 years or more of data.

i.need.a.job · 01-06-2010 7:57pm

move the camper van few feet to the left ha

CamperMan · 01-06-2010 8:32pm

i.need.a.job wrote: »

move the camper van few feet to the left ha

can't do that

LostCovey · 01-06-2010 9:40pm

Kylie Polite Bag wrote: »

In a few Nature journals. All very localised within the associations really. Not everything is available on the Internet I'm afraid. The research, like all good research, is ongoing and will cover 10 years or more of data.

Now I'm intrigued Kylie Polite Bag!!!!!!!!!

Which of the BTO/RSPB journals has published this research on bird-strikes & window design incorporating Irish data????????

I am assuming that when you say Nature journals, you don't mean the journal 'Nature'.

I had no idea such research was going on, it sounds really interesting.

Don't worry if it's not on the internet, I just want to study the articles, and I am quite happy doing that on paper, so if you could point me in the right direction (i.e. name of the journal or the detailed reference of the articles you mentioned), that would be really helpful.

LostCovey

Kess73 · 01-06-2010 11:28pm

LostCovey wrote: »

Now I'm intrigued Srameen!!!!!!!!!

Which of the BTO/RSPB journals has published this research on bird-strikes & window design incorporating Irish data????????

I am assuming that when you say Nature journals, you don't mean the journal 'Nature'.

I had no idea such research was going on, it sounds really interesting.

Don't worry if it's not on the internet, I just want to study the articles, and I am quite happy doing that on paper, so if you could point me in the right direction (i.e. name of the journal or the detailed reference of the articles you mentioned), that would be really helpful.

LostCovey

http://www.bto.org/gbw/science/BT42_6-7LR.pdf

LostCovey · 01-06-2010 11:46pm

Kess73 wrote: »

http://www.bto.org/gbw/science/BT42_6-7LR.pdf

Fantastic, thanks Kess73, really appreciate that.

LostCovey

fryup · 02-06-2010 9:28am

yes the silhouette stickers should help prevent bird strike.

Hey OP just on a side note - seeing that your mobile home is in a wooded area, you must be eaten alive by midges & horseflies during the summer??

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 02-06-2010 1:50pm

LostCovey wrote: »

Fantastic, thanks Kess73, really appreciate that.

LostCovey

Thanks from me too Kess, as I'm not a big Internet user. I get sent articles or reports that are not really for public consumption and I wouldn't know where to start to find on-line summaries.

Kess73 · 02-06-2010 11:41pm

Kylie Polite Bag wrote: »

Thanks from me too Kess, as I'm not a big Internet user. I get sent articles or reports that are not really for public consumption and I wouldn't know where to start to find on-line summaries.

The BTO stuff I tend to be able to find quickly, mainly because I do the stats for my own two 10km tetrads for the Bird Atlas 2007-11, which is done by Birdwatch Ireland, the BTO, and the Scottish Ornithologists club. As such I get feedback on my figures, and get sent articles plus the public online links to where the figures are being used.

The BTO website also contains a list of their core surveys, the surveys that are upcoming and a list of all the completed surveys which comes with all the newsletters in pdf form which can be read and downloaded by the public for free.

http://www.bto.org/index.htm

Completed surveys

http://www.bto.org/survey/complete/index.htm

birds killing themselves by flying into a window.

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