The 2025 bird migration season is well underway, with birds flying overhead in huge flocks. You can take a look at the numbers via the BirdCast Migration website, or just go outside at night with binoculars. The Colorado State University and Cornell Lab of Ornithology produce the graphs, which are updated frequently. Since we love birds (and who doesn’t love birds?), we keep track of the migrations and the ways we can help prevent birds from hitting windows. Stick with us here. Window film is just one way, but there are others, too. By the way, we’ve written about birds and window film before, but that was three years ago. It’s time for an update!
Over a billion birds die from collisions each year
That’s an incredible number, isn’t it? But there are many ways to prevent bird deaths. Short of putting out orange cones with complex arrows to signal detours around your house or office, here are some other things you can do. Birds see what’s around or behind your glass and assume there’s a clear flight path, and end up hurtling into your windows! Even people run into glass, especially if it’s kept clean.
Light and Landscape
The way you light your landscape has an enormous effect on what birds see at night and whether they miss your big glass windows or keep flying. By turning down your lights–both interior and exterior–you can help prevent bird deaths. If you have shades, draw them down at night, and keep lights pointed down and away from the night sky, according to the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance. It’s especially important to turn off lights where your indoor greenery meets glass, as this is like the proverbial Halloween candy for birds.
Innovative design
Glass treatments
Glass treatments, such as our custom bird film, shown above, has evolved over the past few years. “Feather friendly” options now include many more patterns, such as dots, squares, and even UV film that birds can see but are nearly invisible to humans. Fritted window film is window film which includes patterns to help birds avoid glass. And, just like other types of window film, some could even be seen as decorative.
Birds hit buildings near water
Buildings near water seem to be places where birds most often collide with windows. Birds are attracted to the landscapes near water, and also to the water itself. There are many buildings like this around the San Francisco Bay. Often, facilities managers don’t realize that there’s a solution. So if you have a big commercial building (with lots of windows) near the water, we need to talk!
Need to explore your choices?
We’d love to protect the birds in your neighborhood with window film! Give us a call at 415.623.8700 when you’re ready to save the birds! We’d love to talk to you and answer all your questions! We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin. And we’ve expanded into Southern California, too!
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