Save Songbirds from Window Strikes

Beautiful songbirds are on their way from their wintering grounds to their breeding grounds. Some have already arrived such as the male Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Robins and Cowbirds. Warblers, Orioles, Grosbeaks and Hummingbirds will be making their appearances over the next two months.

We can do our part to keep them safe by applying window alerts to the outside of our windows. Other than cats, window strikes are a leading factor in avian mortality. Window Alerts contain a component that reflects ultraviolet sunlight. This is like putting up a stop sign for birds. Birds have vision that is up to 12 times better than that of humans. Humans will see a foggy outline of the alert which is not too invasive.

It is best to apply these when the temperature is 50 degrees fahrenheit or 15 degrees celsius. If the temperature is cooler, wash the window with warm water before applying. If you have large windows, apply the decals in groups of three. Birds usually hit the upper half of the windows so it is best to place the decals about two thirds of the way up. Window alerts will fade from exposure to the sun so it is important to replace them every 9 to 12 months.

There are different designs to choose from, hummingbirds, butterflies, leaves, and modern squares. Another choice would be the UV Liquid. This can be applied with a bingo marker to create dots on the window. It will dry to almost clear. You can protect a whole window with this product.

Let’s do our part in saving migrating birds this spring!

Happy Birding!

By Jane Paradis

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