SPECIAL PROMOTION!
Is your home safe for birds?
Do birds ever crash into your windows? Prevent bird collisions and save lives with WindowAlert window clings! Purchase one or more packages of WindowAlerts at windowalert.com and get an additional package free! You must mention the special code, WIHUMANE, for this special offer. The WindowAlert company will also donate $1 back to WHS!

Click here to see Wildlife Manager Scott Diehl
explain the WindowAlert application

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The Baltimore Oriole on the right was injured when he saw the landscape reflected in the glass and tried to fly into it. Fortunately, the homeowner found the bird and brought him to the WHS' Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for help. But most birds aren't so lucky.

Why do birds hit windows? The two most common causes of daytime window collisions are:

• Birds see landscapes in window reflections.
• If a bird can see through to the outside through two aligned windows in your home, they confuse them for a tunnel and will attempt to fly through to get to the other side.

Collisions like the Baltimore Oriole's can be reduced or even eliminated by any one of the following:

• To avoid a bird's ability to look through one window and see the outside through another window, simply close the blinds or curtains on one of the windows.
• Apply window clings or tape. You can purchase Whispering Windows (pictured at right) or UV-Reflective, WindowAlerts from our online wildlife store, Wally's Workbench. In some cases, to be fully effective clings may have to be placed as close as 4-6" apart.
• Hang brightly colored fluttering ribbons in front of windows. Irritape holographic mylar tape is sold through Wally's Workbench or at the Wisconsin Humane Society. Alternately, tie unwanted compact disks (CDs) on string in front of the window so that they turn in the wind.
• One of the most effective ways to reduce bird window collisions is to install Bird Screens or other fine-mesh plastic netting in front of windows (especially during periods of peak migration). Leave a few inches between the glass and the netting to allow birds to collide softly with the mesh instead of hitting the glass. Bird Screens are avaiable through Wally's Workbench at the Shelter or online. View effective installations of Bird Screens by clicking here.
• Apply CollidEscape to the outside of windows. CollidEscape is an easy-to-apply film that greatly reduces the reflections on the outside of windows. CollidEscape is available online and at select retailers. View effective installations of CollidEscape by clicking here.

• Place bird feeders very close (within three feet) or at least ten yards away from windows.
• Lower window awnings to reduce window reflections.

Wally's Workbench and the Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park, (located at 1500 East Park Place in Milwaukee,) have these and other preventative techniques on display.

Join us in saving countless wild birds from death caused by window collisions. Make your home a Bird Safe Home! Registration is fast and free. Click on the WIngs logo to the right to get started! Click here to see a list of Bird Safe Homes.