Birds flying into windows

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Staff at Slimbridge WWT,Gloucestershire, were very concerned about chicks that launched themselves from their nests and immediately flew into the restaurant windows. They came up with a plan. Cover the windows with a very thin film that reflects ultra-violet light. It's invisible to the naked eye and birds see a striped pattern and they don't fly into it. The BTO estimates that a 100 million birds crash into windows each year killing about a third of them. Scientists found that the UV filter cut the collision rate by 90%. In the two years since the UV film was fitted at Slimbridge not one bird has hit the windows. It was also put on the windows of hides.

There's a photo of it here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g35g0kpk0o

Sadly, last year, the government declined to add an amendment to its Planning and Infrastructure Bill that would have mandated the inclusion of the UV film. It would include buildings like skyscrapers and office blocks with hundreds of windows. No doubt the builders' lobby balked at the cost.

Re home use. Often,birds see a reflection of a branch of a nearby tree and fly to it with disasterous results. One suggestion is to trim branches near windows. We keep the dining room patio doors blind angled so a bird isn't able to see straight through to the living room and the road and trees beyond. Before that every now and then, there was a thud. Fortunately, no bird was killed but one day, outside, looking for one, I realised why it was happening. Birds would fly over the garden en-route to the trees across the road at the front which they were able to see.

I did a Google. It's expensive.

https://www.glassfilms.eu/commercial-window-films/bird-window-film/
 
We had a very territorial Blackbird a couple of years ago and the only way to stop him attacking his reflection was to use a 6" deep strip of privacy glass sticky backed plastic along the bottom of the kitchen window. Oddly enough, he completely ignored the conservatory that was the same distance from his "attack" perch but at 90° and lighter inside so less of a reflection.

Photocopied hawk silhouettes blutakked to the inside of the other conservatory windows hugely reduced the accidental hits.
 
We used to have a ginger tom who, seeing his Bête noire in our garden, would attempt to pass through the French Windows at high speed. After the resulting loud bang, he would retire to his favourite position on the settee, while making noises that were probably the equivalent of muttering under his breath.

He eventually got the message and refused to use that route into the garden, even when the doors were open. All I can say is that he was a typical tomcat. ;)

Figaro curled up on bed.jpg
 
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