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Bird strikes


NSS

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We've done quite a bit to attract wildlife to our garden and enjoy watching a good variety of birds in the hedgerows and at the feeders. However, we've had a number fly direct into our windows, and not just those with SageGlass. Sadly, a few have hit with such force that they've not survived the impact.

 

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether 3G windows attract more bird strikes than single/double glazed, and if so what could be done to mitigate this?

 

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Very interesting question,  I had one window on a shed that was a problem, it was double glazed and after the 3rd death I put a board up In front of it ! I know this does not answer your question but I think it’s got a lot to do with location as I have not had a problem on any other windows  and I have 3 houses in close proximity.  I am surrounded by birds as I have a fairly serious / very large wildlife garden.  

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I'm not sure, but we had the same problem at this time of the year at our old house, particularly with the windows that faced West.  We also have the same problem here, both on the West and East facing windows.  Thankfully I've yet to find a casualty, but we do have a couple of feather prints on the glass, following loud bumps, that make it clear that birds have hit the windows in full flight.

 

I had wondered if it was something to do with the light at this time of the year, perhaps combined with young, inexperienced birds that have only fledged earlier in the same year. 

 

Short of coating the glass with something to make it more visible/less reflective, I'm not sure if there is anything to be done.  Wish there was.

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In the rental house I'm in now there are quite a few bird strikes on one window downstairs, but not on an otherwise similar one just round the corner. I'd speculate that the difference is that the one with the strikes is next to a bush and the birds see the reflection of that and try to fly into it.

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The times I've been many metres up in a glass atrium, out of sight and sound harnessed up and quietly nodding off with my head against the glass waiting for my mate on the tea run, when a bird has smacked into the window, torn its throat out and smeared the window with claret. Certainly wakes you up. 

 

It's a big problem on commercial buildings. Ornilux glass has a built in film like cobwebs, visible to birds only. You can also add films like CollidEscape that do the same thing.

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We have a lot of windows and this is a big problem for us. Went to Valencia for 5 days last week and when we came back we had 5 dead birds all round the house including two on the roof terrace. Just recently we had to clean up after a bird had been torn to shreds on the roof terrace so not what you want really. Suppose we have said bird friendly when the architect asked us what type of house we wanted!!

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16 minutes ago, Pete said:

We have a lot of windows and this is a big problem for us. Went to Valencia for 5 days last week and when we came back we had 5 dead birds all round the house including two on the roof terrace. Just recently we had to clean up after a bird had been torn to shreds on the roof terrace so not what you want really. Suppose we have said bird friendly when the architect asked us what type of house we wanted!!

 

Blimey, and there was I worrying about three in as many months ?

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As @JSHarris has mentioned I think it is mostly young birds that hit our windows. When a sparrowhawk flies around here, there is panic, and the small birds fly off in all directions. The older experienced birds know which direction not to fly in but the youngsters often fly into the windows. Most of them are casualties rather than fatalities and after a rest for half an hour or so they can be coaxed into flight.

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