Window bird feeders

gzoladz

Hi all,

I am living in an apartment now and I am considering getting those feeders that stick to the window with suction cups.

I linked an example of one below, has anybody had and experience with these? And advise is also appreciated.

We are also looking at options to avoid the window.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meripac-Complete-Window-Feeder/dp/B0012UUXRW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385887988&sr=8-2&keywords=Window+bird+feeders

Thanks

Chisler2

Hi! It is an attractive idea to fit one of these on the window of your new apartment. On Friday I buried yet another fox-sparrow killed on impact with the window 3 - 4' behind a hanging bird-feeder........despite a line of narrow vertical leather thong spaced at 4.5" which reflects in the glass and (usually!) deters the birds from flying into it.

If you are not on the ground floor, a possible alternative to a window-feeder might be a metal or wooden crane-type holder mounted on the outside wall, extending some distance from the window, which could be filled/cleaned and then pushed out so birds are not flying directly towards the walls/window-pane.

Rainbowsend

I used to have a number of birds crashing into the window, some got up and flew away and sadly some didn't! I put up a window feeder and now I very rarely have a bird crashing, it is a busy feeder and if I forget to fill it up a little Blue Tit will tap on the window until I go and fill it!

Chisler2

OK! Here's the science bit. If you go to the experts - Sibley - at http://www.sibleyguides.com/conservation/causes-of-bird-mortality/
here's what they have to say about bird-deaths through collisions with (a) windows and with (b) telecommunication masts. Note that "yes.....that IS 97 MILLION to 976 MILLION birds per year". Have a read, then decide where to put your bird-feeder:-

Window strikes – estimated to kill 97 to 976 million birds/year – Millions of houses and buildings, with their billions of windows, pose a significant threat to birds. Birds see the natural habitat mirrored in the glass and fly directly into the window, causing injury and, in 50% or more of the cases, death. Simple steps can be taken to reduce the number of birds striking windows. Decals that stick to the glass are not very effective, but strips of tape on the outside of the glass, or strings or feathers hanging outside the window, each no more than 10 inches apart, are fairly effective. Decorative features like stained glass designs or window dividers can achieve the same result. Outside screens are very effective both to reduce the reflection and to cushion the impact. In short, anything that reduces or breaks up the window’s reflection will reduce bird strikes. Lots of excellent info at FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program) ; follow the link to collision prevention and be sure to check out the “CollidEscape” film.


Communication towers – estimates of bird kills are impossible to make because of the lack of data, but totals could easily be over 5 million birds/year, and possibly as many as 50 million. Towers have proliferated in recent years, with an estimated 5000 new towers erected per year during the 1990s, mainly for the cell phone and digital TV industries.

Rainbowsend

Well all I know is that since the window feeder went up the collisions went down!:)

gzoladz

I put it up last weekend eventually... Not a single bird came to eat yet...

Rainbowsend

Don't worry they will. It may take a while but they will find it!

gzoladz

Rainbowsend wrote: »

Don't worry they will. It may take a while but they will find it!

Hopefully... My little one is getting disappointed after all the hype I created

gzoladz

Still zero birds.. I have moved it to another window closer to a tree.

Any ideas welcome.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

gzoladz wrote: »

Still zero birds.. I have moved it to another window closer to a tree.

Any ideas welcome.

It can take several weeks for birds to hone in on a new feeding location. Just leave it where it is and don't move it again. Don't put too much in it, as it will go to waste. If the seed gets very wet you should replace it. And watch out for rotten or mouldy seed while you wait for the birds to discover this new trove of food.

Are there garden birds in the area?

gzoladz

Baylor Young Billionaire wrote: »

It can take several weeks for birds to hone in on a new feeding location. Just leave it where it is and don't move it again. Don't put too much in it, as it will go to waste. If the seed gets very wet you should replace it. And watch out for rotten or mouldy seed while you wait for the birds to discover this new trove of food.

Are there garden birds in the area?

Thanks Baylor Young Billionaire, yes loads of birds, I see them regularly. There are even other feeders in the area that work well. Maybe the birds are used to those.

I would love this to work, there is nothing more relaxing than observe the coming and going.

gzoladz

Still zero birds :-(

This is disorienting really... I wonder if the birds see too much movement as we have big windows...

gzoladz

And 3.5 months later, a blue tit decided to stop by. 2 of them came earlier this week and have visited us since.

This is in the feeder at my daughter bedrooms window, hopefully we will get visits at my living room 's.

Pleased with it, hoping to get some pictures during the we.

Rainbowsend

Ahh that's great news, once you get a visit then more will follow for sure! Keep them filled and they will keep coming. The Blue Tits are brave and once they find food it takes a lot to frighten them away, "my" Blueys sit in the branch above my head waiting for me to fill the feeders, and if I am late there is even one that knocks on the window!