How To Stop Birds Flying Into Windows

There are easy-to-implement things you can do inside your home to deter birds from flying into windows (and doors). Start by identifying the key windows or doors that are causing the most damage and focus your activities on these.

Once you have identified the source consider the below:

• If you have window blinds – for example vertical, roller, roman, keep them partially closed. Likewise, keep curtains partially closed.
• If you want to keep your space light, add net curtains or panels which will let the light in but will present as a solid barrier to birds.
• Affix a shape or several shapes on the windows that birds are flying into. For example, a hawk is a good self-adhesive bird silhouette. You are likely to need more than one on a large window and any bi-fold/patio doors. This will make the windowpanes more obvious to a bird.

There are options to consider for outside to which include:

• Place wind chimes near your windows. The sound they emit should function as a good bird deterrent.
• Can you place a film on greenhouse glass and whitewash shed windows, so they appear as a solid object to a bird?
• Move your bird feeders and birdbaths. You have two choices. Either move them closer to your home, usually within three feet of the offending windows so any collision is likely to stun a bird rather than prove fatal. Or move them at least thirty feet from your windows so birds are more likely to see these windows as a part of your house.
• If you have external shutters and your windows are not in regular use, keep them closed as much as possible.
• Consider adding a sunshade or an awning to provide extra shade for patio doors and bi-fold doors. Not only will this benefit you from the glare of the sun, but it will also reduce or eliminate the reflection from the glass.
• If you have young children, turn this into a creative project by using the windows as a canvas for paint patterns that can be wiped off easily, but the rain won’t wash the ‘art’ away.
• An illuminated garden in the evening can look stunning but these lights can light up the windows, so they reflect a bird’s image at them. Consider how you can reduce this effect whilst still enjoying the look of your garden in the evening.
• Consider an opaque window film that will let the light in but function as a barrier to birds because they will not be able to see their reflection.