Make Windows Safer for Birds

By incorporating bird-friendly measures that make windows visibles to bird and reduce light pollution into building, renovation, and construction, the National Park Service is taking steps to reduce bird collisions across the country.

A sign at the Zion National Park visitor center tells park visitors about the problem of bird window strikes. Although the clear, ultraviolet, dot stickers that surround the sign are barely visible to people, most songbirds can see them.

NPS / Adam Reimer

Why are windows hazards for birds?

Window glass is a hazard for birds because the glass is an invisible barrier they struggle to see. During the day, birds fly towards reflections in glass that look like the sky or plants. At night, lighting can attract migratory birds, disorienting them and increasing their risk of colliding with buildings.

Feathers stick to the window from a collision at the Zion National Park headquarters building.

NPS / Adam Reimer

An estimated one billion birds die from collisions with glass annually in the United States. Buildings under four stories are a major contributor to this issue. Their stature reflects the trees and sky, and the sheer number make them hard to avoid. Since 1970, North American bird populations have dropped nearly 30 30%. Other than habitat loss, bird collisions is one of the leading factors in their decline. #BringBirdsBack

What You Can Do

You can treat your windows at home to help protect birds!

Take Action

Bird-friendly actions can prevent window collisions by up to 95%. These actions can help prevent bird-window collisions at home:

• Identify high-risk windows to treat to have the greatest impact.
  • Add film, paint, screens, cords and other materials on the outside of the window to reduce window strikes. Placement and spacing of bird deterrent products are critical. Birds can fly through surprisingly small openings. Pattern elements should be no more than two inches apart on the window. One or two decals of hawks or other predatory birds are not effective.
• Replace windows with energy efficient etched glass can protect birds and save energy.
• Limit lighting to where and when it is needed and prevent it from escaping into the night sky. Turn off nonessential lighting at night all year, and especially during bird migration in spring and fall.

Your actions to protect birds contributes to conservation, climate change mitigation, and positive visitor experiences. Birds are an important part of healthy ecosystems, and their presence helps people connect to nature and reduces stress. Treating windows and reducing light pollution helps protect biodiversity, benefits people, and results in energy savings.

Find out what other actions you can take at home to help protect natural resources.

Spread the Word

Encourage others to join the movement to save 1 billion birds every year.

Join the conversation on social media and share your actions with hashtags: #BirdFriendlyBuilding, #BirdFriendlyGlass, #BirdCollisions, #LightsOut, #LightsOutforBirds

Resources

• 

  Bird-Friendly Home Toolkit

  Our friends at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have the resources you need to help make your home bird-friendly.

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  Dark Sky Friendly Lighting

  Help birds by limiting your outdoor lighting, especially during migration seasons.

• 

  BirdCast

  When, where, and how far will birds migrate? How many birds passed last night? BirdCast shows real-time maps of bird migrations.

What are we doing to help?

The National Park Service manages thousands of buildings, many in natural areas that have large glass windows for viewing the landscape. Bird biologists are working with parks and partners to help parks find the best solution for their park and local bird species.

The Statue of Liberty Museum, built in 2019, incorporated bird-friendly glass as do the plans for a new lodge at Big Bend National Park and the rehabilitation of the Painted Desert Visitor Center at Petrified Forest National Park. Some parks have applied retrofit solutions such as dots and film to existing glass. Other locations have used tempera paint as a temporary solution, or even stopped washing windows temporarily until a more permanent solution can be implements.

Over 50 parks have taken steps to become Dark Sky parks, making the night sky more visible to humans and protecting migratory birds and other wildlife.

Each project takes the National Park Service a step closer to making buildings safer for birds.

Learn more!

Making Park Windows Safer for Birds