Myself and some colleagues in bird conservation wrote an open letter urging @WBU_Inc to address misinformation about collisions in their marketing and offerings of deterrent products. Please read and sign it! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XPDyd_OnbzQ4wxceeyWk4FnVlprvEid7lpRxaGDbd1s Here’s why you should...

First, let’s clear some things up. Most bird-window collisions happen during the day. The most likely place for a bird to hit a window is on a residence since homes are the most common type of structure. Home windows can be retrofitted with visual markers to prevent collisions!

A common reason why birds are near windows in the first place is because people lure them with feeding, bathing and nesting stations placed conveniently near homes. The problem is many people who feed birds don’t realize how dangerous their home windows can be

Birds crash into windows during the day either because they don’t see glass that is transparent or because reflections on the glass create an illusion of space that birds don’t understand isn’t real. To a bird, a reflection of a habitat looks about the same as the real thing

Wild birds are quite used to avoiding obstacles in flight. In their natural habitat, forest-dwelling birds fly between tree trunks and branches to get where they want to go. If you put an object or two in the path of a bird, they will just navigate around it.

Research has shown that not all deterrents are effective and that marker SPACING is really important! You cannot just slap 2 decals up on a window and call it a day. @FLAP & @ABCBirds say markers need to cover the entire window & leave no gaps wider than 2-4 inches.

. @WBU_Inc sells collision deterrents that are outdated and not very effective. These include silhouettes of birds of prey, and WindowAlert UV decals and ink. In the deterrent industry, basically anything goes – companies are free to manufacture/sell whatever they want

It makes sense that stores that sell birdseed, feeders and baths should educate their customers properly (consistent with current science!) about preventing bird collisions. This is where @WBU_Inc is falling short…

@WBU_Inc does not consistently convey info about marker spacing to their clients on their website or in store. And worse, the marketing of WindowAlert includes media which depict improper marker spacing. This is leading to public confusion and undermines bird conservation efforts

I talk to a lot of people about birds flying into windows. The most widely known methods for preventing collisions are silhouettes and UV decals, even though more effective solutions exist! Most people don’t know how to fix their window. @BirdCrash_bot is living proof.

I also monitor backyard windows for collisions at a site were there are WindowAlert UV decals on the glass! They are spaced according to what the homeowner was told by the @WBU_Inc store where they were purchased (2-3 per window). Birds fly around the decals and get hurt.

We hope that @WBU_Inc considers our request to update their marketing of existing product to reflect current science and to carry products that are proven effective like @FeatherFriendly or bird savers. The feeding industry should work with conservationists on public education!