This video was basically the research I needed to know that no, the fancy UV decals aren't necessary for window decals to work, unlike what some companies would have you think. You just need _something_ to show that there's a surface there that birds can't fly through.
Far more effective is to hang 2x2 inch netting of the sort used to support garden plants, across the windows. Leave a 6 inch gap between the netting and the window glass. The birds see the netting and if they cannot divert in time their impact is greatly reduced by the netting. Even with birds that are pursued by sharp-shinned hawks the netting is a life saver. The netting lasts for years and it has reduced bird deaths at my primary window by 100%.
We just had a large baby woodpecker hit our patio door. He was dead on impact. It made me so sad because we attract birds to our yard. We get so many nesting pairs. Were going to put up something that hangs and blows in the wind to deter them. Hoping this will save their lives poor little creatures.
For home owners, do this :I did some research, using para cord & stick on velcro , measure window width & length, cut the cords accordingly to measurements. Hang on the "outside" of the window from the top using the velcro. The slightest breeze will even make them move & looks pretty cool, but the vertical hanging strips spaced 4 inches apart keeps birds from hitting the window, I had to do something because the birds hit my picture window with such force, they were breaking their own necks. This one place sells them if your unable to make your own, just needs window measurements.
Living in Toronto, I can honest tell you, there are more glass buildings been built after this video been done. some of them are completely glasses covered.
One day I walked up to the window on the higher floors of the library where there's an outdoor patio and looked outside and saw a very tiny bird that usually flies super fast but seems to be invincible, dead. It's body was whole but head was near decapitated. And I wondered how it died up so high. If it had been a predator, it wouldn't be there. Now seeing for myself a bird fly into a window, I realized the other bird's detriment. so sad.
Unless the falcon decals are mounted in a 2" X 2" row and column grid, just a couple of falcon decals are NOT ENOUGH. The grid shown at 2:54 is what is effective.
A robin got into my house today and I opened up 2 of the side windows to let it out and it hit the middle one instead it was sad I picked him up and watched him take his last breaths his neck was broken it was horrible its gonna stay with me for the rest of my life
Why are there so many condos being build in Toronto today? It seems obvious that it will get worse in the future. There were NOT way to many condos being built in the city when the birds were safe in 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.
Would it help the birds if the buildings were illuminated with outside lights like those used for some houses? The glass could be treated with something that makes it less clear or illuminates a preditor image on the glass not visible without the lighting.
Thank you for caring enough to want a solution, but please stick to well-known researched methods that work. The answer to your question about lights is NO, artificial building lights at night attract birds to the death trap windows.
There was a Kamikaze Robin that kept crashing into my living room window over and over…. He’s got to have a big headache doing that. Bird websites say he is a male Robin attacking his own reflection in the glass. He thinks it's a competing male Robin for Spring nesting territory. It's a major noise distraction when I am on my computer. Walmart to the rescue! I hung two empty plastic Walmart check out bags outside above the window. They blow about in the wind. The stupid Robin can't stand them! So far he is gone! I will remove the bags after nesting season. :) Walmart check out bags are best!
1) Powers that be don't care enough. 2) See #1. Not willing to spend the extra bit of money on new bird-safe building and window construction, or retrofit older windows.
Jay Kay no actually, we just found it dead. Tried to revive it, waited for it to breathe again but it never did. So we buried it with flowers. It was exactly like the one in the thumbnail. So pretty...
Yes, properly installed nets greatly lessen or stop fatal impacts, but impede the view more than the dots, plus nets are more difficult to install, especially on upper story windows.
