Why do birds fly against the glass? How do you operate bird protection on the window correctly and prevent birds from flying against the pane? And what to do with a bird that flew into the window?
The dull sound that birds make when flying against a pane is often immediately accompanied by panic and a bad conscience. Because a smashing pane can mean serious injuries and, in the worst case, immediate death for birds. Every year more than 18 million birds die in this way in Germany alone. You can find out what you can do about it, which measures are particularly effective and how you can make your house bird-friendly when you are building it.
Why do birds fly against the glass?
Birds fly against panes of glass for two reasons: either the surface reflects the sky in front of it, or the birds can see the sky behind it or a green landscape through the glass. The latter applies, for example, to bus stops, windbreak areas or glazed house corners. In either case, birds don't perceive the disks as an obstacle and think they can just fly through.
How to prevent birds from flying into the window?
Therefore, in order to prevent bird strikes, you have to turn glass surfaces into a visible obstacle. This works, for example, with the help of high-contrast markings such as colorful stripes or dots. You can also use semi-transparent ("milky") adhesive strips to be a bit more subtle. The important thing is that the patterns are close together. For example, vertical stripes should be 5 mm wide and no more than 10 cm apart. Horizontal stripes, on the other hand, should only be 5 cm apart. Also, to avoid being overshadowed by the sky's reflection, the adhesive strips must always be attached to the outside of windows.
The classic black bird stickers, on the other hand, have not proven themselves, since the birds do not perceive the immobile silhouettes as a dangerand usually far too far apart.
Note: Bird protection on the window is also very easy to do yourself. Adhesive strips in a variety of colors and sizes are available at most craft stores and can be used in any creative pattern you like. The color orange has proven to be particularly effective.
Anyone who wants to ensure that the building is bird-proof from the outset should avoid looking through to attractive sky or green areas behind it. In addition, you can use non-reflective glass for windows, because if the birds only perceive a dark interior behind them, they rarely fly towards it.
What to do with a bird that has been hit by a disc?
If you find a victim alive, you should first get a good idea of their condition. Observe the bird from a safe distance and look for obvious injuries such as wounds or broken wings. If the bird doesn't appear to be harmed and just looks shocked, it's best to just leave it alone and see if it recovers and flies away on its own. However, if the dazed bird is in immediate danger from cats or other predators, you should place it in a vented box and keep it safe in a dark, quiet place. When the bird becomes active again, you can release it at the site where it was found.
Read our special article for more tips on how to deal with victims and what to do if you find an obviously injured bird.