It’s common — and depressing — knowledge among birders that residential windows account for a significant portion of the many millions of avian deaths caused by glass every year. Until fairly recently, there wasn’t much a homeowner could do about it; the outside of a glass pane reflects landscape and sky, with interior blinds, curtains, stationary objects unable to warn an “incoming” that he or she is not headed for that nice tree or bit of open space. We have windows for a reason: to let it light and allow people inside to enjoy the view; covering glass from the outside would tend to defeat that purpose.
Some products have come on the market for warning off birds with minimal sacrifice of window clarity. Techniques for do-it-yourselfers have made it inexpensive to install versions of these products. There are websites with suggestions and product information, and now SFVAS has come into possession of a detailed and useful pamphlet for anyone who’s got a bird-strike problem and wants to do something about it. Check it out by clicking here.
(If the link doesn’t work, you can paste this into your browser: https://www.sfvaudubon.org/2021/1/27/guide-to-preventing-window-strikes/
Landing page photo credit: Bill Olmsted, AP