How window stickers could save birds' lives this spring

Bird.
(Image credit: JillianCain/ iStock)

As the first hints of spring signal the migration of all sorts of birds back to their warm-weather homes, advocacy groups are looking to solve a perennial problem for our avian friends: windows.

As many as hundreds of millions of birds die each year in the U.S. after flying into windows, Popular Science reports. Clean, streak-free windows might provide a lovely view for humans, but birds aren't able to perceive glass, and even when it doesn't kill them, the collisions can stun or seriously injure the birds, leaving them unable to fly off.

And with so many birds dying, the ecosystems and even the economy can be affected. Birds play a vital role in controlling insect populations, and Michael Mesure, executive director of a nonprofit called the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), points out that the bird-watching industry is a huge draw for tourism. "People fly from one corner of the planet to another to add a bird species to their list," he says. "With birds gone, it'll affect the economy, too."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

While bird-safe glass has proven very effective at curbing the number of collisions, it can be tedious and potentially expensive to replace all the windows in your house. One cheaper alternative that advocates have suggested comes in the form of stickers and window decals. Regardless of the shape or color, stickers can help birds see that there is an obstacle preventing their flight, and greatly reduce the number of crashes this migratory season.

Maybe it's time to trade in the Windex for a sheet of stickers — the birds in your neighborhood will thank you.

Read more about other methods of bird-proofing your windows at Popular Science.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.