Tips for Reducing Strikes at Home
Tips for reducing strikes at home:
- Move bird feeders & bird baths away from (>30 feet) or closer to (<3 feet) windows.
- Move houseplants away from windows where strikes are common.
- Apply patterns or decals to the outside of windows 4-10” apart.
- Stretch thin netting or other material over the outside of the window
- Apply cords to the outside of the window: http://www.birdsavers.com/
- Apply a window film like CollidEscape to the outside of the window
- Use tape to create stripes: 1 inch vertical white tape, 4” apart OR one inch horizontal tape 2” apart. Streaks of soap or paint may also work.
- Plant trees or shrubs near the window to interrupt or cut down reflections
- Let your windows stay dirty: they’re more visible that way!
- Stick "post-it" notes to the outside of the window
- Installing awnings to reduce reflection
- Turn off unnecessary lights seasonally from dusk till dawn, mid March through early June (spring migration) and Late August through mid-November (fall migration)
Portland Audubon Birds and Windows Brochure (pdf)
American Bird Conservancy bird collision solutions flier
If a bird hits your window, observe it before handling. Some strike victims recover after initially being stunned. If the bird is in imminent danger (i.e., a lurking cat), place it in a box & place it in a safe and quiet place. Check the bird in 1 hour. If it is alert, active and able to fly, release it immediately. If the bird is still having trouble, you may bring it to the Wildlife Care Center (open 9am-5 pm everyday, 503.292.0304).
