BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....

Subject: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 07:56 PM

Help!!!

In the last two weeks 9 birds have crashed to their deaths in a picture window an' i's breakin' my heart... I've put those fake bird decals on the window but that hasn't stopped the carnage...

Anyone have any other ideas on what to do???

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 07:57 PM

Ahhh, make that "My birds..."

[fixed- friendly clone]

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: gnu
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 08:01 PM

Oh I thought they were sayin by.

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 08:04 PM

If it's just the last couiple of weeks, is there something diffeent about those weeks? Like migrating flocks, or you had the windows cleaned? You could try pulling the curtains at the relevant times.

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 08:32 PM

9 is too many for coincidence, Bobert. Someone has put out a contract on you. The birds are kamikaze hitbirds. I suggest you hire an antiaircraft crew ASAP. Or...you could brick over the window. What might work even better is, put up a huge poster of Condi Rice on the window. That will scare them off if anything will.

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 09:00 PM

Can't help but we've had 2 birds hit our glass sliding doors this year. First one was killed instantly but the second one, a goldcrest, though stunned enough for Pip to be able to go outside and pick up, survived.

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Amos
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 09:07 PM

Put up several plastic owls around the edges of the picture window. It will reduce the suicides to the very bravest.

A

Subject: RE: BS: By Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:02 PM

Agricultural birdscarer, end of

eric

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: number 6
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:14 PM

At this time of year many species birds are migrating. I dunno what kind of birds are colliding into your window Bobert ... but what you are encountering could be a result of migrating birds disoriented in their flight south ..... could be the reflection of your window is somehow or other attracting them ... a mirage of water maybe. Be interested in seeing what others post regarding this.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: number 6
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:16 PM

McGrath has a good solution ... pulling curtains across the window could help.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:21 PM

Use a shotgun on them. But from outside your house--NOT through the window glass.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 10:24 PM

Put a poster like this in your window.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Gurney
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:00 PM

Seriously, though, in Europe and the Antipodes it is usually Blackbirds who do that. They are doing a 'flythrough' to see if there is anything they can use in your house, and it happens mostly on rooms with large windows on adjacent walls. They can see through the room, and try to do a high-speed run through as a first look. Hey, it works with carports, right? And it seems to be inexperienced birds that do it.
Venetian Blinds on one of the windows fixes it, mostly.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: ragdall
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:20 PM

Closing the curtains doesn't prevent the birds from trying to fly through the window. They do it, not because they see through the windows, but because they can see the reflection of things behind and to the side of them. Vertical blinds might be effective, if they create lines on the window and disrupt the reflection.

Can you tack some streamers on the outside of the windows? They should hang down from top to bottom and move in the air currents. The rolls of plastic which surveyors use (flagging tape) are inexpensive and work well for this.

After the migration is over you should be able to remove the streamers.

Good luck!
rags

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:44 PM

Of course it's inexperienced birds that do it! The experienced ones seldom live to try it a second time...assuming they would want to.

(that's a joke...)

Sorry, Bobert, but I'm leaving the serious advice to those who are probably more knowledgeable about it than I am.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:46 PM

Also, count your blessings that it's just birds and not cows...

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:49 PM

I agree with the steamers idea, though I was going to suggest putting stripes on the outside using painters' tape, easy to remove also. I think the streamers might be better because of the movement.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 01:19 AM

http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/caringforPet/prewindows.html

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 01:39 AM

There is a difference between flying flat-tack 'through' a window (thus killing yourself) and attacking your reflection, which happens slowly and with histrionics. They killed themselves on our lounge windows, once in a while, and attacked themselves in the bedroom window, which has mirror-plastic because our bedroom is overlooked by neighbours.

Try Venetians first. At least the neighbours won't laugh at you.

Little Hawk, I meant experienced in living life, not at flying into windows, you nong. And 'overlooked' has meanings other than forgotten, before you pick that up too.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Rasener
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 03:04 AM

Probably Alfred Hitchcock come back to haunt you.

Why not put up an awning Awnings

Practical and looks good

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 11:17 AM

I think it is the level of the sun in the sky. The chaning of the season may mean that your windows are now refecting more of the sky and the birds are confused. I would suggest closing the curtains or hangin something above the windows, like a spinning ornament of some kind.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 11:42 AM

A scarecrow in the window-box...

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 12:13 PM

Steamers, kat? How are clams going to help?

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 12:20 PM

lol...okay, Sins, stReamers.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 12:29 PM

You could stick a 'CLOSED' sign to the window and measure their IQ?

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 01:37 PM

There are some smart-asses here,Little Hawk why don`t you fly into the nearest window.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 01:59 PM

I knew exactly what you meant, Gurney, but I was deliberately misinterpreting it merely for the sake of being a smart-ass, as GUEST has so correctly labelled it just before this post. ;-)

Consider the trouble Bobert would be in if rhinoceroses did this kind of thing instead of birds. It wouldn't be good.

We had a very nice forest bird (partridge?) that killed himself on one of our glass doors a couple of years ago. We got him the local taxidermist to stuff him, poised in flight, and he now occupies a position of honor in the living room, looking remarkably realistic, although "frozen in the moment", as it were. Thus he has attained a sort of immortality, in a sense. Better than being thrown out with the garbage, I suppose.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 02:05 PM

Thanks for calling me a "nong", by the way. ;-) I haven't heard that one before. I like it. Excellent word. It really gets the feeling across beautifully somehow.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Scoville
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 02:25 PM

We don't have picture windows in our current house but years ago, when we did, they used to eat mountain ash berries and then fly into the windows. I don't know if the two were related; we wondered if the berries were slightly toxic and made them a bit loopy. I think they were mainly trying to fly into the reflected trees/open sky in the glass.

Maybe putting a loudly-patterned curtain in the window to help disguise the reflection would work? The neighbors might object to orange-and-blue paisley but if it saves some bird necks . . . eh.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 04:03 PM

I've never heard of picture windowa eating berries before!

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Scoville
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 05:03 PM

Ha ha. Man, I can't write today, can I?

That would be BIRDS eating mountain ash berries and flying into picture windows, in case anyone didn't figure it out.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 05:11 PM

They do eat them but it gives them a pane.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: GUEST,IBO
Date: 01 Oct 06 - 08:11 PM

Then try to be nice with them

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 02:44 AM

This is obviously a seasonal thing, as we had a nearly identical thread about a year ago (but don't put too much faith in my memory - I didn't look it up).

A recommendation from my local wildlife guys several years ago was "get rid of the reflection." One method suggested was a fairly strong solution of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in a bucket of water. Simply aim the bucket at the window and toss the water against the window (from the outside, usually). When the stuff dries it will leave a sufficient whitish film to prevent the birds from seeing through or from seeing reflections.

If you get the "strength" of the solution just right, the film is thin enough to be only "slightly noticeable" and shouldn't cut the light coming in by much. With a suitable spayer, you can just "mist" with the soda water, which makes it easier to get a just-right amount on the glass.

When the birds move on, the soda rinses off with plain water, which makes cleanup easy, but also may make replenishment necessary if it rains. (And the runoff when you clean up will help buffer acid soil in your flower beds beneath the window.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Rumncoke
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 04:57 AM

In the Spring we get indignant and furious robins throwing themselves at the windows and pecking at their reflection, particularly in the mornings. I can watch them from a few feet away, and they don't seem to see me, presumably because they are seeing quite a convincing reflection of themselves and the garden.

I think the most effective deterrent for kamekazi attack is something on the OUTSIDE of the window, as the reflection would hide things stuck on the inside.

Something like the shading used on greenhouse glass might make all the difference to the apperance of the window, and it sticks fairly well but is removable.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 05:18 AM

The greenhouse shading often is just a "lime wash" which can be simulated in the old fashioned way by splashing the glass with some diluted stale milk. ("Milk Wash" was used to paint many a barn some years back.) It's perhaps a little more durable than the baking soda, but has about the same effect.

John

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: The Shambles
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 05:41 AM

This time of year there are a lot of young birds who have to learn to avoid many first-time hazards - some don't survive to learn. The ones that do don't tend to fly into windows again.

There are many factors and many have been mentioned. One that hasn't is that along with high numbers of young songbirds there are also high numbers of birds that prey on them. It could be their attempts to avoid being caught in an arial chase that is resulting in them speeding into your window.

It reminds me of a really unusual event in involving the European Blackbird. We were in a crowd in Cornwall. There was the sound of birds squabbling above our heads and we all looked up startled and I gained the impression of a bird flying on. But falling at our feet was the very freshly dead body of a blackbird - but without a head.

I puzzled over this and had a good look at the area on our return. I could not find the head but I did notice a telephone wire across the path at the point where the bird fell. I suspect what happened was that in either a territorial dispute or in evading a predator - the poor bird had flown (at speed) into this overhead cable, the head went off in one direction and the body fell at our feet.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: frogprince
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 03:45 PM

Then again, if you get enough of the little beggers, you could just save them up to make a meat pie...

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 05:20 PM

It's funny how every robin notices immediately that the robin he sees in the window is a total jerk, an idiot, ugly, devoid of charm, and deserving of a good thrashing. ;-)

I wish this would also happen with belligerent drunks. It would be so much nicer if they fought with their own reflections instead of bothering other people.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: The Shambles
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 06:32 PM

Funny enough the birds being drunk - may also be a factor.

Those over-feeding on a glut the season's fallen and fermenting fruit may well be a little tipsy.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Helen
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 06:33 PM

Little Hawk,

It's probably the opposite. They see a fine specimen of a male who could get all the females without any trouble, so they want to scare the other male off their patch.

:-)

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 06:52 PM

Ah! Good thought, Helen. ;-)

"My God! Just LOOK at that handsome devil there! He has GOT to go or I'll never have any fun at all this year!"

LOL!!! I remember one who fought his reflection for days. What a dimwit. Then another real robin came along and saved him from his folly, at least for awhile. I wonder what the females think of it all?

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: The Shambles
Date: 02 Oct 06 - 07:03 PM

Sad to think that most of that birdsong we have waxed lyricly about in our songs and poetry - is just one male telling another all the terrible things that will be done to him if he takes one more step into my manor.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Grab
Date: 03 Oct 06 - 11:00 AM

There's something like this where I work - but it's species-specific! It's a glass-fronted building with a small lake immediately in front of it, which is full of ducks. Now the ducks have no problems staying clear of the windows, but there's fairly regular attrition of the local pigeons and collared doves nutting themselves on the windows at speed. You'd have thought that if one lot could work it out, so could the others.

Mind you, collared doves are the very definition of "bird-brained", so I guess it's not too surprising for them. And the world is not going to be a poorer place for the loss of the odd pigeon.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Rasener
Date: 03 Oct 06 - 11:05 AM

Has anybody checked that Alfred Hitchcocks Birds haven't attacked Bobert?

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: open mike
Date: 03 Oct 06 - 11:40 AM

what variety of birds are they?

i would agree with the post that they may be drunk..
is there any fruit lying around for them to peck at?

this used to be quite a problem when i had a crab apple tree.

it is esp. likely to happen if they can see thru the window
to the other side and assume they can get there thru
the glass...if you put a curtain on one or both windows
this should stop the fly thru attempts.

i am now watching a small flock of gold finches getting
a drink at a dripping hose...

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 03:54 AM

I think the birds committed career suicide when they tacked that stupid vaudeville ending onto 'The Times They Are A'Changin''.

Oh no, Byrds.

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Oct 06 - 07:45 PM

Well, I hope that Hitchcock ain't involved with this but you never know with that guy...

(But, Bobert, he died many years ago...)

So???

Nevrmind Hitchcock... Ahhhh, seems that most of the suicides are waxwings with a couple finches doin' the copy cat suicide thing...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: My Birds are Comittin' Suicide....
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 01:30 PM

Bobert, we had that problem for a time with our front window. This summer we put up window film made by a company called Gila that reduces the amount of infrared light that comes into your house by 70% without reducing much viisible light. Not only did it reduce the temperature in the house to tolerable levels, it seems to have eliminated the bird crashing into window issue. We spent $100 and did the entire house with the film. It's also supposed to keep heat IN during winter. We shall see

Check that stuff out here:

Gila Window Film products

Another alternative is to take CDs you don't want, drill holes in them and then string them up shiny side out and hang like a garland in front of your window. The flashy display sacres the birdies away. If you down't want to drill holes in them, you can just tie them in such a way so hat the shiny side stays out.

There are also those giant yellow beach alls that you can buy with big eye stickers. Blow 'em up and hang from a pole in fornt of or above window. makes the birds think a gaint predator is camped in front of your window.