Window Strikes

During Spring and Fall migration there are more birds around and moving through your neighborhood. With all those birds hanging around we start to see many more window strikes than during other seasons.

Birds fly into your window because they see a reflection of a lovely yard that looks quite nice to go check out. They may also see through your window and out to the front or back yard and think they may fly through this very convenient tunnel.

Birds do not perceive glass as a surface.

There are many ways to reduce or stop window strikes. There are store bought decals, tape, window coverings or there are DIY options as well. Here's a great image about window strikes by 

Rosemary Mosco and FLAP.org

Please give us a call or check MyWBU to inquire about current stock and prices. Thanks! (204)667-2161

 

"Feather Friendly® is an easy-to-use and unobtrusive window application that is barely noticeable to humans but highly effective in allowing birds to ‘see’ the windows, allowing them to avoid deadly collisions."

Each roll of tape has a small square marker every 2 inches. When you apply the tape to the window the markers stick and the tape can be pulled away. Feather Friendly® Tape sticks through harsh weather and window cleanings.

100ft Roll or 300ft roll

WindowAlert

"WindowAlert decals help prevent wild birds from accidentally striking windows. Each decal has a special coating that reflects ultraviolet sunlight. This ultraviolet light is invisible to humans, but birds see it as a brilliant glow much like a stoplight.

Place decals on the outside of the window. Concentrate decals at center then work out, placing decals at a minimum, on every 2 feet of glass. For maximum protection, scienti­fic studies suggest placing decals 2 inches horizontal, by 4 inches vertical, from one another.

UV coating will fade based on exposure and local elevation. For best results, replace decals every 4 months."

4 per pack

*We normally have Leaf Medley, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Modern Squares in stock but please call us to check availability.

Find some other options HERE

DIY Options

  • Hang Ribbons or string vertically every 2 inches in front of windows

  • Smear soap on windows to decrease reflections or paint the soap on in a grid or pattern

  • Use a Chalk Marker to draw on windows

  • Hang garden netting in front of windows

  • Apply Tempera Paint to windows in a grid, pattern, dots, or paint a pretty picture!

*All decals, tape, coverings, or DIY solutions should be put on the *OUTSIDE* of windows to break up reflections.

Learn more about window collisions and solutions HERE

 From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

How To Help A Window Collision Victim


If you find a bird dazed from a window collision, examine it for external injuries. If the wings are both held properly, neither dangling, and the eyes seem normal, see if it can perch in a branch unassisted. If so, leave it to recover on its own.

If the bird has a noticeable injury, get it to a wildlife rehabilitator as quickly as possible. Broken bones usually need proper attention within minutes or hours to heal properly without surgery. 

Meanwhile, place it in a dark container such as a shoebox, and leave it somewhere quiet, out of reach of pets and other predators, for 15 minutes. If the weather is extremely cold, you may need to take it inside, but don’t keep the bird too warm. Do not try to give it food and water, and resist handling it. The darkness will calm the bird while it revives, which should occur within a few minutes unless it is seriously injured. Do not open the box indoors to check on it or it might escape into your house and be hard to get back out!

Take the box outside every 15 minutes or so and open it—if the bird flies off, that’s that! If it doesn’t recover in a couple of hours, take it to a wildlife rehabilitator. Remember that, technically, it is illegal to handle a migratory bird without a permit, and medically helping an injured bird requires training, so your job is just to transport the bird to a rehabilitator.

In Manitoba we are lucky to have two wildlife rehabilitation centres.

Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre