Most of us are keen to attract birds and other wildlife to our gardens, but some of our feathered friends find avoiding window panes a challenge. That can be annoying, not least if you have new replacement windows.
In fact, one US survey by the American Ornithological Society suggests that a billion birds in America lose their lives each year after flying into glazing.
As with any problem, it’s worth knowing the original cause. There are two main reasons why birds fly into window panes, depending on time of day. During the daytime, given that glass is a reflective surface, birds flying towards a window may see trees, shrubbery or foliage reflected there, and assume they are flying in a safe area. Sometimes, these winged creatures may even see and attack their own reflection in a window pane.
When it’s dark, nocturnal birds are obviously most at risk, and they often fly towards windows when a room is lit. Unfortunately, light can confuse them, and collisions occur.
Larger glass doors, including bi-fold or French models, are most often to blame for these kinds of incidents. It’s worth standing near where the birds usually feed in your garden, looking at your doors and windows and studying what you see, since this view is also what the birds probably see, too.
If you have a long garden, try putting the bird feeders as far away your windows as you can. Another idea is to bring them much closer to your windows, since then the birds won’t get up to top speed and injure themselves if they fly into your panes.
How to help injured feathered friends
Windows a regular bird flight path? You can put up screening or netting three inches from the glazing, so that it’s tight enough for birds to bounce off unharmed.
Another option is one-way film covering the glass so that you see out, while, from outside, the opaqueness prevents confusion and reflections.
Alternatively, consider fitting external shutters. These can be adjusted to allow natural light into your home, without confusing birds. Internal blinds, or cottage bars can help to break up the reflection, and may be cheaper than shutters.
At Worthing Windows, we cover the West Sussex coastal area including Lancing, Goring, Sompting and elsewhere as well as, of course, Worthing itself.
We have many replacement window products on offer, including uPVC, aluminium, timber and timber replica models. Talk to a member of the team today about which type would best suit your home.