Preventing bird strikes

This is the time of year tens of thousands of migrating birds are winging their way north to ancestral nesting grounds, following Earth’s magnetic field, sun, moon, and stars with unerring accuracy on their arduous trek. They are also capable of escaping numerous enemies bent on eating them, but they don’t have a lick of sense regarding windows.

If you have those beautiful picture windows that allow you magnificent views of mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and desert, you also have potential bird-killers.

I am positive that at least 60 percent of people reading this epistle have heard that awful “Whump!” of a bird striking a window in bright daylight and even at night.

The photo here, taken by Bill Benson of Sisters shows the dramatic imprint of a mourning dove that hit his window going full bore — probably trying to outrun an accipiter (bird hawk).

Birds whack windows for several reasons: trying to escape a predator, flying an undeviating straight-line course while looking through a lineup of two windows, fighting off competitors, pursuing a potential meal and other explanations.

Silhouettes like the falcon pictured here will help prevent about 90 percent of the bird strikes. If you want a sample of these send me an email: [email protected], and I will mail them right back.

Print out one or both and attached it (or them) to the center of the window with paper glue, two-sided tape, or what ever you like. The life you save may be an old friend.