Birds vs Patio windows

[xs11jack]

I have had a large bird feeder in my back yard for 25+ yrs, but this fall I am having a bunch of birds banging into the patio window quite often. Much more than other years. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to put something on the window to stop the collisions?? my wife just picked up a sparrow that may have a broken wing. Or maybe just sprained. It hit the window right in front of me and dropped like a rock. Sad.
Ole Jack

[Walks]

How about those heavy anti-dog claw protectors they sell to protect your lower screen doors from your Dog trying to claw through.

Not too nice looking, but will change the look of the windows. Or get roll up/down shades to block the light/ look of the windows.

[Grmps]

Are you cleaning the window differently so now they can't see it?

did you repaint the room inside to a different color that helps camouflage the window?

[Omega]

Get some window clings, to let the birds know its there, they have all kinds.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Amscan-Christmas-Gingerbread-House-Window-Clings-6-Pack-241915/303772202
https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/c7828b1c-2975-4cd9-b786-4b9823adf548/svn/amscan-christmas-window-wall-decorations-241915-64_1000.jpg

[ShooterAZ]

We put some "wind spinners" in front of the windows. It seems to help.

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/cardinalhotairballoon.cfm

[popper]

Old CDs on a string, flashy makes them stay away.

[lefty o]

its called natural selection.

[country gent]

We had a large picture window in the old place when I was growing up. Across the road 4-500 yds away was a woods. Birds from sparrows to pheasants flew into that window in the evenings. The consensus was they seen the reflection of the woods in it and not the window. Something to break up the reflection may be needed. Some old cds hanging on strings the above mentioned decorations, Something to break up the reflection. Even some surveyors tape blowing in the breeze.

[Minerat]

Get some christmas tinsel and hang a few strands on string stretched along the glass that will give it some depth of field and movement so they see a difference.

[mold maker]

I had a three sided glass porch, and dead birds were common. We added on to the house which eliminated one glass wall and the bird problem was eliminated. Seems the birds were trying to fly through the porch without seeing the glass. Now I have a bird feeder hanging from the overhang and a constant enjoyment from all the birds it brings.
They don't see us on the inside and really provide entertainment.

[lightman]

We also feed the birds and have several feeders. We also have a Bay window in the kitchen and we occasionally have a bird strike. I never thought about it much but its possible they are seeing the reflection from the field.

[xs11jack]

OK, There has been no change in the window or the room so that's out. The dog protector is in the running. The one I like is the CDs on fish line but the wife wants to look at HomeDepot first. Thanks guys you have come thru again.
Ole Jack

[am44mag]

its called natural selection.

It would be if it weren't completely random. Either they can't see the glass, or the reflection confuses them. No amount of "natural selection" will cure that.

[mold maker]

If your windows include the E coating and it's dark inside, they reflect like mirrors.
The birds pay no attention to youngsters playing less than 3 feet away, unless there is sudden movement. I feed them over 70# of seed every year and the feeder is less than a foot from the window.

[square butte]

You never know what might hit the window. We have had a couple of ruffed grouse dinners over the years when grouse slammed into the kitchen window pane. Both also happened to be during grouse season. Go figure. All i can say is that the Good Lord Provides. . .

[Three44s]

If you have a bird of prey working your birds that frequent your feeder that will cause the prey to make mistakes during a panic and run into windows more often.

We had a quail go through a double pane glass once. It sat in the room for a time and came to it’s senses and managed to exit the hole it had made. We do not know if it survived long term though. A hawk had been working that side of the house. When I first found the broken pain I thought a vandal or intruder had broken it .... you talk about the hair standing up quick!

Some bits of feather here and there got my feathers back closer to normal.

Three44s

[xs11jack]

Three 44s, Its a funny thing, we have a very tall utility pole in the back yard about 40ft. from the feeder and in the 28 or more years only 3 hawks have ever sat there and taken a bird off the feeder. We feed squirrels too and none of them have ever been attacked.
My windows are very old and don't have the E film in them.
Ole Jack

[David2011]

An oil company office at the Elk Hills petroleum reserve west of Bakersfield, CA had the same problem. The windows were reflective gold glass (or possibly film on the glass). They put black vinyl silhouettes of birds on the windows to provide a fixed plane of images for approaching birds to see. I don't have any information on the effectiveness of this solution.

A hotel in Galveston has strung monofilament line between its buildings to keep seagulls from flying over the pool areas. It seems to be effective in my several stays at that hotel.

Both are inexpensive to try. Good luck!

[Lloyd Smale]

dad had a mountain ash tree in the front yard and when the berries started dropping the birds would get drunk off them and were constantly flying into the window. We used to laugh watching them staggering around the yard. HIs cure was to close the curtains for the month they were dropping.

[BrassMagnet]

Two years ago we had many hummingbirds strike the window on one day.
I hung screening over window and that didn't help much at all.
Light outside was "dim" and inside lights were on. Turned out lights inside and ended impacts.

[pwc]

You could use pinwheels like what we played with when kids. When they spin in the wind they flash.

[pwc]

You could use pinwheels like what we played with when kids. When they spin in the wind they flash.

[wingspar]

Reminds me of an old Far Side cartoon of a tall building with one window in the entire building with a bird bouncing off the window. I’m sure I still have the cartoon around here somewhere.

[KCSO]

One night we were sitting in the living room and the wife said, " What shall we have for dinner"? Whereupon we heard a loud thump on the window and I looked out and said. "Pheasant". Sometimes it's not all bad.

[429421Cowboy]

I remember as a kid in school we would make a cutout in the shape of a raptor out of black construction paper that we were supposed to take home and put in a window as a way to keep them from flying into it. Seems like a low cost idea to try?

[catmandu]

I picked up a owl decoy at a flee sale. It keeps the birds leaving the pear tree next door away.

Paul in WNY

[xs11jack]

Thanks guys for the additional ideas. I'll run them by the chief bird protector and see which ones stick to the wall..
Ole Jack