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Beaky Ghost Bird here!. You want to Know how to stop birds from crashing into your windows? I'm pushed for time , so let's fly at it.

1. Please keep putting out feeders and baths for us. We really appreciate your efforts. But don't put them too close to your window. They attract us, but accidents sometimes happen when hungry, dusty birds see a smorgasbord laid out for them. If there's a crowd there, some birds will try to get to the top of the pecking order. Remember, we cannot see your window. We don't know it's there. I saw a bird chased into a window last week in a food fight, and it was touch and go for him. Please put your feeders and baths about one bus-length away from your window (we birds measure distances in bus- lengths because we all know how long a bus is. Sorry-not sure how to express a bus-length in human measuring terms). I know you enjoy watching us, but maybe you could invest in a pair of binoculars? Just a thought.

2. To make your windows visible to us, how about sticking a few decals on the inside of the glass? You can make your own, or buy fancy ones, but remember one cutout is not enough. We birds see one, and we try to fly around it! Bad idea!

3. You can put up a wind chime in front of your window. We see the movement, hear the sound and stay away.You'll enjoy the soft sounds it makes. Don't get one so loud that it annoys your neighbors! We birds are against against noise pollution, except when we decide to wake you up at dawn.

4.Blinds, drapes, awnings and shutters can play a part in reducing the danger associated with windows .But depending on how your window reflects the light , it may not be enough. Try something else if the problem continues.

5. Thank you all the bird lovers who have put up "trampolines" for us. These are frames covered loosely with window screening, and attached in such a way that they're about one kitten-length(again, sorry, can't translate the measurement into human terms) in front of your window. A bird hitting it kind of bounces, and if the screening is loose enough he can relax and get his feathers unruffled before swooping away.

6. There's an organization called FLAP, based in Toronto, Canada. They work at raising awareness of bird hazards .FLAP stands for Fatal Light Awareness Project. You'll find it online, and it's essential reading for bird lovers. Recently, this group managed to get most of the lights in Toronto's downtown turned off at night, in an effort to save birds. Thank you FLAP!

7. A parting thought. Dirty windows won't kill you, and they won't kill us either.

I'm a ghost because I thought a window was a beautifully lighted tunnel. The last words many humans hear before meeting their maker are "Go into the light." But just before I hit my last window, I heard a ghostly voice saying, "Stay out of the light."And now I'm doomed for eternity to hover around windows, giving other birds that same warning. Shoulda listened to that voice!
Sources:-

Flap.org
enature.natio nalgeographic.com
fundforanimal s.org
www.wbu.com T

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