How to make windows and glass safer for birds

Safe skies: helping birds on the move! 

Why are glass windows and railings dangerous?

In Canada window collisions with glass kill 16 to 42 million birds a year. Birds don't see glass surfaces because:

• glass is transparent and they think they can fly through it,
• trees or sky are reflected, and they think the path is clear.

Our researchers tested the effectiveness of applying a closely spaced (less than 5 cm apart) pattern on glass to make it more visible to birds. This reduced collisions by 95%!

Did you know that most bird deaths happen at homes?

You can help birds by applying your own beautiful pattern to windows with markers, decals, window films, tape, cut-outs, or paint. To best alert birds to danger, all patterns should be applied:

• across the entire glass surface
• to the outside surface of the window
• with spaces between each component no greater than 5 cm (both horizontally and vertically)
• with each component of the pattern at least 5 mm wide
• with a color that contrasts well with the reflected vegetation and is easily seen