Birds colliding with windows
 

Hi there, I think it may be the lower sun position of autumn as we keep having birds collide with our larger windows. One left this rather fantastic dust and grease imprint on the glass - I think from the size it was a Collared Dove (a naturalised escapee in England). You can almost see its eyes!

I assume it survived as there was no corpse, but that may not be the case. The last time I witnessed a collision, I heard it. I ran to the window above and looked out just in time to see a sparrowhawk snatch the dazed unfortunate from the patio below.

Make a black cutout of a hawk flying and tape it to the window. Supposedly they see the reflection of the sky and think they can fly through it. The hawk cutout is supposed to scare them from that "air space".

Thanks for the advice, I'll try it!

Sad that it happens, but that is really one impressive imprint the bird left!

I buy what they call window clings not had any collisions for a long time . The clings don't damage the glass and can be easily removed . Wrecks my day to have one hit the glass :(

like the Kryten avatar, Triffid!

What are window clings, Gin?

Tindo, if one of the geese that migrates around the Humber estuary at this time of year hits the window, I'll invite you for lunch:)

David Sedaris wrote a hilarious vignette about this problem in one of his books and I highly recommend the story for a great laugh....He used old album covers from the 1960's with large faces on them and proceeded to have to cover each window of his home as the birds "switched" windows on him etc.
:rofl:

Currently reading his book "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk"- he's a "hoot"!!!

Our windows have white slats across the glass, and we've never had a problem with suicidal birds. Perhaps it helps?

I once had a pheasant collide with my windshield and get stuck in my wipers, while I was driving in the foothills. My passengers and I never thought to keep it ....hmm....next time!

Window clings are like these .. :)
Cheap Window Clings

I had a Muscovy duck impale itself into the windshield of my mom's Vega. I was on a milk run. I continued to get the milk (drive thru) and head home. Mom was ticked, but dad laughed it off.

http://kroma.co.uk/photos/muscovy-duck.jpg

How does one impale themselves on a windshield? Sounds strange...and painful.

:biggrin:

Goose! Yummy! ....can we come too!? ;)

Hedge, You mentioned a Sparrow-hawk, and I began to wonder if it was a regular/annual visitor?

Autsch! poor bird!

Here are some hawk window clings:
Birdsaver window - Shop sales, stores & prices at TheFind.com

Squirrels and chipmunks will also snatch a dazed bird - they're opportunistic carnivores. I'll never think of a chipmunk as cute again after seeing one munching the head of a sparrow....

They can fly, but not very good at it. This one came at me as I was driving about 35 mph. His head pierced the window dead center of the passengers view. I'll not divulge on the gory details... but if the bird is flying at 15 mph, impacts a vehicle at 35, that's an inertia speed of 50 mph, more than enough to pierce the safety glass.

Just like on TV, maybe your windows are too clean!
Anything that will help reflect the light will deter the birds. Good Luck

CTB: Just like on TV, maybe your windows are too clean!

Ironically, they hadn't been cleaned for nearly a month, the cleaner came on Monday, I took the photo the previous Saturday!! Although we had had a very heavy rainfall the previous week so perhaps they weren't as dirty as they might have been....

I like the hawk bird scarers and will get some. Thanks for the info on clings, Gin. May be a net curtain would help.

Tiffid: Unfortunately, the sparrowhawk is a resident. I say "unfortunately" because although I love hawks and falcons, watching them kill things in your own garden is not so nice. Especially when your gutters are full of sparrows nesting every year - since farming got chemical and intensive and people in the seventies stopped feeding wheat based bird foods, the house sparrow has been in decline in this country, so I am rather proud of my sparrow families! The sparrowhawk is beautiful and I have spent quite a lot of time photographing him.

I had a friend that walked into a sliding glass door in the middle of a party. Knocked him right on his butt. It took him about one second to hop up. Took me about 30 minutes to stop laughing. The bird incident is not funny but it does bring back funny memories.

Birds colliding with windows
 

Back in the 60's my DH's family was in the electrical contracting business and we had an office building. When the weather was nice we would open the front and back doors to let in the breeze. The back door did not have a screen door. Several times sparrows entered from the back door, flew through the dark shop area and knocked themselves silly on the big front window. I usually picked them up and held them till they regained consciousness and let them fly away. I don't recall one ever dying from the experience but it was a shock to be sitting at my desk when all of a sudden WHAM.
Beverly A.

We have big plate glass windows and usually get a bird hit or two during migrations in the fall. I've read that if you put bird feeders right on or near the window, they are slowing down as they approach and don't get hurt as badly. Gives me an excuse to put up more bird feeders. I'm not sure if i spend more on bird seed or orchid fertilizer.

Thanks for the Info Hedge. That's something that has peeked my interest now. I love my birds of prey, but a demising sparrow population isn't good (for either species).
Found this article on it which shows contradicting views on the topic. Like most things it's probably a multiple of factors causing the decline.
Soaring sparrowhawk population 'leads to shock decline in humble sparrow' | Mail Online

What ever the cause(s) it's something I will definitely be looking into. Was thinking about getting some bird boxes and and similar. May try and get something suitable for sparrows now.

Beautiful pictures by the way :) Jealous!

wish mt pics were as good as the ones in the link!!

I feel sorry for the poor bird, but that picture is too funny. I LOL'ed when I saw it. :rofl:

That's a good idea too. as for spending more on bird feed or orchid ferts I suppose it depends on how many orchids you have! Or how many feeders!! With thirty orchids, I'm afraid the birds win hands down in terms of feeding costs here:lol:

Well I have 80 orchids, and 9 different feeders with different kinds of seeds. Probably bird feeders. "My" birds are greedy!:bowing

when i read this we had both posted 651 times on this board ! Spooky!!:rofl:

Okay, now it's a race to see who gets to 700 posts first!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

It probably won't be me - this week is half term, my parents are visiting and my dog is unwell to the point where we are now having to claim on the house insurance for a new dining room carpet as that's where she had her "accident" - I think I'm going to be a little busy!!! Great idea though, especially if it had to consist of totally relevant posts and not hallf baked excuses like this one of mine!!!!:D

Well I post in bunches, so you still might beat me. I have a busy week at work coming up, and a visit from my sisters so we can have a family meeting about my elderly parents. At least I don't have a sick dog! :lol: