What kills almost as many birds as outdoor cats – yet is going practically unaddressed?

It’s not hunters, since hunting season is relatively short.

It’s not wind turbines, either, though they’ve gotten a bad rap as bird killers.

The answer is…windows – which is why we’ve pulled together this post featuring 9 ways to stop birds flying into windows. There’s no time to lose!

How Many Birds Are Dying?

According to a study published in 2014 by the American Ornithological Society, up to a billion birds may be dying in the United States each year as a result of crashing into buildings, most frequently into windows.*

And it’s not just the glass on towering skyscrapers that’s the problem, either.

According to the AOS, about 44% of all bird deaths related to glass collisions happen at residences, houses like yours and mine.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve heard more than one bird hit the windows in my living room while I’ve been working away in my office.

Hearing birds sing first thing in the morning makes me happy. I marvel at their incredible and ancient migratory journeys. I also love that birds evolved during prehistoric times, and that so many avian ancestors became some of the animals we most love today.

So when I heard about how many birds are dying because they’re flying into the glass in our homes, I had to do something about it!

For starters, I invited Kimberlee Shaw at Thompson Creek Window Company to make some helpful suggestions about how to stop birds flying into windows. Her recommendations are below.

How Do Windows Kill Birds?

Think about it for just a moment from the bird’s perspective: a window reflects the trees and sky, and often looks like an inviting place to fly to.

If you’re flying over long distances, which you’d do if you were migrating, say, from Florida to Maine in the spring, a nice branch could be pretty inviting – until you collided with the glass reflecting it.

Here’s a picture of the front of my house. Just look at the way the trees are reflected in the windows. If you were a bird, wouldn’t you think that you were flying towards a tree branch instead of a deadly pane of glass?

The windows on my house could attract birds to their reflections.

Birds that migrate at night are in danger, too, because they’re attracted to bright, steady white and red light. If you have big windows that are lit from inside, they act like a beacon to unsuspecting night flyers.

Consider how tiny a migrating bird is. Now imagine it flying at full speed into a solid piece of glass.

Even if the bird hits the glass and flies away, it often dies later from internal injuries.

And that could be happening as many as a billion times a day!

What Birds Are Most Threatened?

Smaller migrating birds seem to suffer the most casualties. Those include:

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds
• White-throated sparrows
• Dark-eyed juncos
• Wood thrushes
• A variety of warblers

Though all birds matter, these small migratory birds are among the ones that fill the world with song.

In addition to the loss of their own unique imprint, when these birds die, all the music they make dies, too.

9 Ways to Stop Birds Flying Into Windows

Fortunately, Kimberlee Shaw of Thompson Creek Window Company says there is a lot you can do to help protect birds from the windows in your home.

Start by identifying which windows pose the biggest threat.

The large picture windows offered at Thompson Creek, or any windows that reflect the sky or trees, are the worst offenders. But they also let in a lot of natural light, which is good.

If you have big windows, here’s how you can make them less appealing to birds, says Kimberlee.

1)Paint or soap: You can use either a bar of soap or tempura paint to create a grid pattern on your window to break up the reflection. The grid should be spaced no more than four inches by two inches to be effective. (NOTE: This would work better in an arid climate with a minimum amount of rainfall; otherwise, the soap or paint will make a mess on your window when it rains.)

2)Stickers: Similar to the first idea, place stickers or decals on your window. You have to put plenty of them on to be effective, following the same spacing so the birds don’t think there’s a spot wide enough to fly through.

The tape stripes on the big picture window discourages birds from flying into the window.

3)ABC Bird Tape: This tape, available from the American Bird Conservancy website** and other online retailers, makes it easy to apply properly-spaced dots or grid patterns on your windows to deter birds. The tape comes in convenient rolls to make application a snap. ABC says that birds generally avoid flying through vertical lines that are 4″ apart or less, and horizontal lines 2″ apart or less. You can see the appropriate pattern in the house pictured above. Better Line Reflective Scare Tape is shiny and moves with the wind, effectively shooing birds away from your windows.

4)Window film: This product covers the entire glass surface and is best applied on the outside of the window. It dramatically decreases reflections from the outside while still allowing a clear view of the outdoors from inside. This gives you the added benefit of privacy while still allowing daylight to enter your home. Some window films will also help reduce solar gain into your house in the summer, helping to keep it cool.

5)Netting: You can install a taut section of netting outside of your window at least three inches away from the glass. This will cushion the bird’s impact and prevent them from hitting the glass.

6)Screens: Regular window screens can cut down on reflections and keep the birds away. To be effective, the screen needs to be installed on the outside of the window and should cover the entire glass surface.

7)Branches: Tree branches can break up the reflective surface when viewed from a distance by the bird. While you can’t move a large tree conveniently, you can plan your landscaping accordingly so that the tree’s growth will eventually create that visual barrier.

8)Motion: Anything that moves in the breeze can make birds avoid the area. Suspend pie pans or CDs or another object from the eaves over the window, making sure they won’t blow into the window themselves and scratch it. If you don’t have eaves, string up streamers of brightly colored fabric.

9)Lighting: Birds that migrate at night can be attracted to or disoriented by the lights of almost any structure.

In fact, birds disoriented by lights can circle structures for hours on end, leading to exhaustion and forcing them to use up the energy they need to complete their migration.

Birds are particularly attracted to steady-burning red and white lights.

Turn outside lights off, replace outside lights with sensor-driven lights, and draw curtains and shades to contain indoor light.

You might be thinking, “Many of these solutions aren’t the most visually-appealing to add to my home.” And you’re right. One option is to make them seasonal. Birds are most susceptible to window collisions in the spring and fall during migration. Make your windows bird-safe during the migration months to make the biggest difference.

Remember:

ABC Bird Tape                                                               Better Line Reflective Scare Tape

Thompson Creek is a Maryland-based company that has received EPA’s Lead-Safe certification, is a top Energy Star partner, and is certified as meeting the National Green Building Standards of the Home Innovation Research Labs.

NOTE: Sponsors help us help you live the greener life you want by providing expert content at no cost to you. We never work with sponsors who do not meet our criteria for environmental responsibility.

*Bird-Building Collisions in the United States

** American Bird Conservancy Bird Tape

More Homeowner Products to Stop Birds Flying Into Windows

The post 9 Ways to Stop Birds Flying Into Windows appeared first on Big Green Purse.

If you’re planning to remodel your home this year, think green. From installing energy-efficient windows to painting with no VOC paint, you’ve got dozens of options for sprucing up your home in ways that are eco-friendly and friendly to your pocketbook, too. We’ve teamed up with Thompson Creek Window Company, an ENERGY STAR partner and avid recycler, to offer this step-by-step guide to green home remodeling you’ll love.

1) Research Your Options
The more you know about the choices you have, the better your choices will be. When it comes to being green, you can easily find healthy paint, sustainable flooring, formaldehyde-free furniture, upholstery that does not contain fire retardants, energy-efficient lighting, windows and doors, energy- and water-saving appliances, even landscaping that saves water and creates native habitat.

2) Make a File, Scrapbook or Pinterest Page
Collect ideas in a file, make an idea scrapbook, or create some Pinterest pages from pins you find on other green home and design pages. Tear pictures out of magazines or write down ideas and organize them into folders by topic or room. Take your files when you meet with your designer so she/he can get a sense not just of what you need functionally, but also what kind of styles you like and what priorities you’ve set for going green.

3) Figure Out Your Budget
Do you have a fixed budget you need to design and build around? Or are you driven by the project itself and will figure out costs once you know what you want? Where can you make trade-offs that will still get you what you want at a price you can afford? For example, while you may not be able to afford solar paneling for your entire home, you can buy more energy-efficient windows and products that lower your bottom line.

4) Investigate Local, State & Federal Tax Credits
Tax credits allow you to deduct a portion of your green construction costs from your annual income taxes. These are usually used to offset the cost of upgrading the energy features on your home so you will save energy overall. They could cover some of the cost of installing solar collectors, retroffiting windows, and adding insulation to your attic, walls, and crawl spaces.

5) Look for Utility Rebates
Many utilities pay rebates when you trade in an older model refrigerator, furnace or air conditioner. When I traded in my refrigerator, the utility company paid me $50 to pick up my old one and recycle it, and $150 for buying the most energy-efficient model in the size I needed. Check your utility’s website for rebates available in your area.

6) Hire a Green Team to Draw Up Your Plans
Find an architect or design/build company that is experienced in green home remodelling. Lots of companies will say they’re green because it’s so popular. You want to see examples of what they’ve actually done. Get a couple of competitive bids from design companies in your area, but choose not only based on price but also on quality of work. Make sure you check their references and if possible, see some of the actual remodels they’ve done. Then start having fun with the actual design. Your team will draw up plans and handle getting permits.

7) Use Green Subcontractors
During your remodel you don’t have to exclusively use green builders but see if your contractor can help you find professionals and companies that are committed to your green goals.

8) Choose Non-Toxic Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Many pressed wood products contain formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that is linked to cancer. Wall-to-wall carpeting and some upholstery may be treated with fire retardants. Go to showrooms, visit green festivals in your area, and search “green building materials” online. Most paint companies offer any color you want in a no VOC option, which will reduce the fumes that cause headaches and flu-like symptoms some people get when their homes are painted with conventional paint.

9) Make Saving Energy a Priority
One way green home remodeling pays for itself is through lower energy bills. Beef up the insulation in your attic, walls and crawl spaces. Choose lighting that can use highly efficient LED bulbs. Install a smart thermostat to make it easy to save energy when you’re not home. Install double- or triple-paned windows that keep hot air out in the summer and warmed air in in the winter. Pick overhangs, curtains, blinds, and shades that will boost window efficiency.

10) Minimize Waste During Demolition and Construction
Much of what you would normally throw away during demolition and construction can actually be recycled, that includes carpeting, and wood, old windows. In fact, in 2014, Thompson Creek diverted over 550 tons of raw materials away from landfills and into recycling programs for reuse and redistribution.  Don’t forget to donate what can still be used. For example, Habitat for Humanity will often take old but functional cabinets. You can upcycle, too – turn old windows into cold frames for the garden; recycle wood from the construction into wood chips.

11) Document and Share
Throughout the process, take pictures that you can pin on Pinterest or post on Facebook. Or, write an article for your local newspaper. What you’re doing is important and can inspire others to do the same.

More About Thompson Creek

Thompson Creek Window Company is committed to saving energy and natural resources. Not only do all their windows exceed the 2015 ENERGY STAR criteria, but they are committed to reducing the amount of waste they send to the landfills. You can learn more about your window options and how to recycle your materials here.

The post Earth Week 2015: Green Home Remodeling You’ll Love appeared first on Big Green Purse.