
by Kathy Ross
In daylight, by reflecting foliage or sky, windows look like inviting places to fly into. Birds also sometimes see their reflection in a window and attack it. This happens most frequently in the spring when territoriality is high.
At night, lights divert nocturnal migrants from their original path, especially in low-ceiling or foggy conditions. They can tend to mill around a window and collide with each other.
Because the sheer number of windows is so great, their toll on birds is huge. It is estimated about 1 billion birds die from window strikes in the US each year. Daytime collisions can be avoided in a variety of ways. The American Bird Conservancy’s pamphlet Stop Birds from Hitting Windows has great ideas for how to make your windows more bird friendly. It is available at https://abcbirds.org/get-involved/bird-smart-glass/.
Closing blinds after dark and turning off lights whenever possible will help birds at night. For more information about making your home more bird friendly, check out this Audubon pamphlet, Making Your Home More Safe for Birds.
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