Homeowners Share Creative Ways to Prevent Birds from Hitting Windows

Many homeowners have experienced the heart-breaking thud of a bird hitting their window. Unfortunately, this happens much more frequently than most people realize, but there are many simple and affordable ways to prevent other birds from meeting the same fate. This spring, FLAP Canada hosted the #MakeWindowsBirdSafe contest on social media to educate homeowners about the danger of bird-window collisions, and also to celebrate the creative ways homeowners are protecting birds from window strikes.  

In April and May, our messages about how to identify dangerous windows, how to help an injured bird, and how to effectively make windows safe for birds reached thousands of people across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We couldn’t have done it without the hundreds of loyal FLAP supporters who shared our posts far and wide!

To inspire others and for a shot at winning a stunning Moore Design Birdfeeder, people across North America also shared photos of their own bird-safe window treatments.

A Winning Strategy to Prevent Window Collisions

Of all the excellent contest submissions we reviewed, we thought that Alexandra Smith’s lattice-like window treatments were the most effective and innovative design.

Photo: Alexandra Smith

Alexandra was in search of an easier way to create a lattice-like effect without having to apply each individual line. In the end, she reached out to a signage company to create exactly the visual marker she wanted on her windows. We thought this was a clever and affordable way to create a custom design that follows FLAP Canada’s bird-safe guidelines to ensure the treatment is most effective.

When asked why she decided to treat her windows, Alexandra said:

“I have always been aware and been concerned about the glass buildings while living in the city as I knew they caused collisions but had never had firsthand experience of it. When I moved into a house a couple of years ago, I personally experienced three dead birds and two that hit and flew away. Many window treatments were too expensive so after researching the criteria needed to prevent collisions, we contacted a vinyl signage company and designed it. It was a great inexpensive option that, I think, looks great and absolutely works.”

Honorable Mentions

We would also like to acknowledge Becky Plant’s and Vicki Bolen’s imaginative window treatments. Both entries were inspired by the Acopian BirdSaver. Becky used a rustic design of rope and wood, while Vicki used whimsical and colourful strings of origami cranes that she constructed out of Tyvek. What great ways to use easily accessible materials to prevent birds from hitting windows!

Photo: Becky Plant
Photo: Vicki Bolen

Have you found a unique yet effective way to make your windows bird-safe? We’d love to see! Share your design with @FLAPCanada on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or send us an e-mail at flap@flap.org.