Live Bird Friendly: Turn Lights Out and Treat Windows to Keep Birds Safe

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Live Bird Friendly: Turn Lights Out and Treat Windows to Keep Birds Safe

The challenge: Up to 1 billion birds are estimated to die each year after flying into closed windows in the U.S. and Canada alone. The cause: During the day, birds perceive the reflections in glass as habitat they can fly into. By night, migratory birds drawn in by city lights are at high risk of colliding with buildings. Help birds with the flick of a switch: To prevent collisions, use external insect screens. These screens virtually eliminate reflections and cushion birds' impact. At night, turn out your lights or close the blinds. Take it further: If you can't use screens, you can break up reflections on the outside of windows using film, paint, bird saving stick-on stripes or string spaced no more than 2-inches high or 2-inches wide. Get started today: Make windows beautifully bird-friendly by applying tempera paint (available at most art supply and craft stores) to your windows. You can do this freehand with a brush or sponge, or use a stencil as a template. Tempera is long-lasting (even in rain) and nontoxic, but it comes right off with a damp rag or sponge. Spread the word: Share how you #LiveBirdFriendly by showing off your bird-friendly window treatments. Audio recordings by Jay McGowan, Matthew D. Medler, Walter A. Thurber, and Wil Hershberger provided by the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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