NOTE: This is a re-post, combining two earlier posts on this subject into one.
Why, At Times, We Hate Our Windows/Porque, A Veces, Odiamos Nuestras Ventanas
Sigue en espanol
Windows kill birds; there is no doubt about that. In a popular book called Pete Dunne on Bird Watching, Daniel Klem, a professor of biology at Muhlenberg College in Muhlenberg, PA, estimates the number of birds killed by striking sheet glass per year at between 100 million and one billion birds in North America alone. Dr. Klem has studied this hazard for more than 25 years.
We did not come to Costa Rica to kill birds; however, in our rush to build a house with a view, we have done just exactly that. Every time we hear the sound of a bird hitting a window in full flight, our hearts sink.
In searching for a mitigation device, we’ve visited many websites by Googling “Window Kills Birds” and, as you might expect, this troubling problem has generated many sources of information.
ABC Translucent Window Tape to protect birds. Photo by Alison Olivieri.
Recently, we purchased translucent tape in two sizes from the American Bird Conservancy and have applied the thin strip type to one of our kitchen windows. For more than a month this window has been bird-collision-free. Click here for more information on this product and other ways to reduce collisions suggested by the ABC.
Continuing this experiment, Roni Chernin, a ‘Detectives de Pajaros’ teacher and birding companion, has just decorated her large windows with the wide kind of ABC Translucent Tape. We will wait to hear about the success of her efforts. If you’d like to try putting this tape on one or some of your windows, please CONTACT US . We would be more than happy to lend you our tape and will be buying more on our next trip north.
Thick ABC Translucent Window Tape to prevent bird strikes. Photo by Roni Chernin.
Creative solutions continue to arise, addressing this issue. For new construction projects, we found a product called Ornilux Bird Protection Glass. Manufactured by a company called Arnold Glas in Germany, it is patterned with a UV reflective coating that birds can see but, apparently, humans cannot. Lisa Welch who works in the Ventura, CA office of Arnold Glas told us recently there is no Costa Rican distributor but it is available to be shipped here. If you or anyone you know wants to try to reduce window kills, contact her at: lisa.welch@arnold-glas.de for more info.
Please let us know if you find ways to prevent this problem that we have not, as we’d like to be in the business of protecting birds, not killing them!
Aqui en espanol
Las ventanas matan aves; no hay duda de eso. En un libro popular llamado Pete Dunne on Bird Watching, Daniel Klem, un profesor de biología en Muhlenberg College en Muhlenberg, PA, ha estimado el número de muertes por estrellarse con una ventana entre 100 millones a un billón de aves por año en norte America solamente después de estudiar este fenómeno por más de 25 años.
No hemos venido a Costa Rica a matar aves; sin embargo en nuestro apuro por construir nuestra casa con una vista, hemos hecho exactamente eso. Cada vez que escuchamos el sonido de un pájaro chocando con nuestra ventana en pleno vuelo, nos da mucho desconsuelo en nuestros corazones.
En busca de un dispositivo que mitigue estos accidentes, hemos visitado muchos sitios web a través de google buscando con palabra clave ’’Ventanas que matan las aves’’ y como ud podría suponer, este tipo de problema ha generado muchas fuentes de información.
Thin ABC Translucent Tape to protect birds. Photo by Alison Olivieri.
Recientemente, compramos cajas de cinta translucida en dos tamaños de la entidad American Bird Conservancy y hemos aplicado una delgada tira en una de las ventanas de nuestra cocina.
Por más de un mes esta ventana ha sido una ventana libre de colisiones. Presione aquí para obtener más información de este producto y también otras formas o sugerencias para reducir las colisiones en las ventanas hechas por la ABC. Roni Chernin, una “Detectives de pájaros’’ profesora y aficionada a las aves, ha decorado sus ventanas más grandes con la misma cinta translucida pero esta vez la versión más ancha promocionada también por la ABC. Esperamos pronto escuchar noticias del éxito de sus esfuerzos.
Thick ABC Translucent Tape on large windows. Photo by Roni Chernin.
Si le gustaría a alguno de Uds. poner esta cinta en alguna de sus ventanas, por favor CONTACTENOS. Estaré más que feliz en prestarle un poco de nuestra cinta y estaré comprando más en nuestro próximo viaje al norte.
Nuevas y creativas soluciones están surgiendo para solucionar esta problemática. Para nuestro proyectos nuevos de construcción, encontramos un producto llamado Ornilux Vidrio Protector de Aves. Manufacturado por una compañía llamada Vidrio de Arnold en Alemania, esta patentado con una cubierta reflectiva Ultra violeta (UV) que aparentemente las aves pueden ver, pero que los humanos no pueden. Lisa Welch quien trabaja en Ventura, CA oficina de Arnold Glas nos dijo recientemente que no hay un distribuidor Costarricense pero que podría mandarse sin problemas. Si Ud. o alguien que conoce quiere tratar de reducir este tipo de muertes, contáctenla a lisa.welch@arnold-glas.de para más información.
Por favor, déjenos saber si encuentra o ha encontrado alguna forma de prevenir este problema que no hayamos ya encontrado ya que nos gustaría estar en el negocio de protección de las aves, no matarlas.
Another Way to Bird-proof Windows
In response to the post above about the dangers of windows to birds (Why, At Times, We Hate Our Windows), we’d like to pass on a simple and relatively inexpensive solution that Karen Arras has developed for her home near El Roble de Heredia in Costa Rica using plastic netting hung from eaves in front of windows.
- A screen made of plastic netting or mesh hung in front of a window to protect birds.
As Karen explains:
Have you noticed that birds never hit windows with screens? For windows that don’t have screens, I use plastic netting or mesh as thin as possible with squares of about 1/2 inch to make what in essence are hanging screens. To make a hanging screen, measure your window, cut the plastic netting to a size that covers it, and staple this to two thin strips of wood on top and bottom. Add two eyelets to the top piece of wood, one near each end, and hang the entire screen with nylon cord or thin wire from your eaves. If the window opens outward, hang the screen far enough away from the window to allow you to open it easily. Otherwise, hang the screen a minimum of 6 inches away from your window. 
Avoid using a heavy material for the top and bottom of the screen; otherwise, a constant wind might set the whole screen swinging enough to hit and damage the window. If the window is wider and taller than the width of the netting, use two or more pieces of netting to protect the window.
This system has been very effective and low maintenance. We’ve never had a bird get caught in the screen, so I think the mesh of the screens is large enough not to snag birds.
A special thanks to Karen and Rob Arras for sharing this great idea.
All photos by Harry Hull.
- Another example of a screen of plastic netting hung in front of a window to prevent birds from hitting the window.
Like this:
Like Loading...
BirdSounds Costa Rica, published by Bernard Geling/BirdingApps (they don’t yet have a new website up and running as of this writing). $19.99 for full version, free for Lite version; requires Apple iOS 5.1 or later for iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. The same price for the full version (and free for Lite) on Android 2.3.3 and later. Size: 1.02 GB for the full version, slightly less for Android version; 69.5 MB for the Lite version. This app became available in January of 2013 in the 
BirdsEye Costa Rica, published by 
San Vito Bird Club 
You must be logged in to post a comment.