Spring is in the air and many home owners will be looking for ways to rejuvenate the look and feel of their homes. Whether it’s by doing some spring cleaning or by taking on some renovation projects, there are a number of ways to add life to a home that’s been in a state of hibernation.
A popular project that home owners undertake in spring is getting their windows replaced. Old windows can look ugly, dingy, and dark, and fail to properly let light into the house. Replacing old windows with new vinyl windows provides a ton of advantages for homeowners: they are easy to install, maintain and clean, are energy-efficient, and come in a variety of shapes and colours. When installed properly, your vinyl windows can last a long time and provide you with the warmth and comfort of sunlit rooms without annoying drafts.
Getting a window and door replacement company to replace your old windows can significantly raise the value of your home, especially if you are thinking of selling. With the numerous advantages of replacing your old windows, it’s no surprise that many homeowners will consider investing in window replacement this spring.
But there’s something you may not have considered: the birds. Unfortunately, up to a billion birds are killed a year in North America because of window collision. The numbers are staggering, so what can we do about it?
Why Do Birds Fly Into Windows?
The clearer your windows are, the more they reflect the outside foliage, creating an illusion of an inviting place for birds to fly to. At night, nocturnal birds might fly into windows because they’re drawn to the light from your home.
The final factor to bird-window activity is actually a specific problem in the spring time, because it involves male birds getting territorial and attacking their own reflection. Thankfully, this particular problem isn’t detrimental to the bird’s health, but it can definitely be annoying to you as a home owner.
What Can You Do?
There are a number of ways to make sure that your windows are safe for your avian neighbours without sacrificing their beauty and added home-appeal.
The first thing you’ll need to do is go outside and see which windows are the worst culprits – remember that it’s the ones that reflect the most vegetation, and this is often the case for large picture windows. You’ll also want to pay special attention to the windows nearest to your bird feeders (if you have any) because that’ll be a high traffic area for them.
Once you know which windows are most likely to experience a collision, you have a number of options available to help make them more bird-friendly. A popular product to use is ABC Bird Tape. Created by the American Bird Conservancy, bird tape is affordable and can be easily applied to your windows; they are translucent, allowing light into your home, but also partially obscure reflective surfaces.
The good news is that bird-window collision awareness is growing and more and more people are stepping up to help prevent them from happening. You can easily contribute by making sure your home windows are safe for your bird friends.
