We've all heard it before: that heartbreaking “thud” of a bird hitting our window. Did you know it is estimated this happens somewhere between 100 million and one billion times annually in the United States ? In an attempt to help save birds, the Wisconsin Humane Society has launched WIngs: Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds because bird window collisions are preventable!

Why do birds collide with windows? The landscape is reflected in the glass and birds can't recognize the glass barrier. Or they can see in one window and out another and they believe the space is open and they try to fly through the perceived “tunnel.”

People across Wisconsin can control window collisions and help save birds by implementing the following measures in their own homes and businesses:

·   Apply static-cling window appliques to the outside of “problem” windows. On some windows, these appliques may have to be spaced no more than a few inches apart to be fully effective.

·   Hang fluttering ribbons or CDs on a string in front of the window.

·   Place your bird feeders within three feet or more than 30 feet away from windows to reduce collisions.

·   Lower window awnings to reduce or eliminate reflections on the outside of the window.

·   Close draperies or blinds to prevent birds from seeing all the way through a building when windows "line up," creating a tunnel effect.

·   Install anti-reflective window film to the outside of the window.

·   For more ideas and information, check out the WIngs web site at http://www.wihumane.org/wildlife/wings/default.aspx.

For more information about the Wisconsin Humane Society, call
(414) ANIMALS or visit www.wihumane.org.