How to Prevent Bird Strikes at Home

Simple solutions can reduce residential bird-window collisions by half, experts say

By Heide Brandes
Conservation
Mar 26, 2026

A pigeon leaves an imprint (above) after striking a window. An installation (below) covering an entry of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Studio Arts Building is designed to deter birds while appealing to humans.

A THUD AGAINST THE LIVING ROOM WINDOW stops conversation midsentence. Outside, a stunned warbler lies motionless on the patio, another casualty in what scientists now recognize as a devastating North American wildlife crisis.

“Birds strike windows because they cannot see glass as a barrier,” says Christine Sheppard, senior director of the American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) Glass Collisions program. By reflecting foliage or sky, windows appear to be appealing flight paths. “They’re sitting in a tree and thinking, ‘Oh, that tree over there looks nice.’ Bam.”

Collisions happen year-round but peak during spring and fall migration at dawn and dusk, with nearly half of all strikes happening at residences and more than half at low-rise buildings.

Those collisions are deadlier than previously thought, with recent studies dramatically revising the death toll upward. A 2024 study published in PLOS One found that only 40 percent of injured birds survive building collisions, even with professional care, pushing estimated annual U.S. bird deaths from window strikes well beyond 1 billion. (Previous estimates were based on counting dead birds outside buildings where they crashed.) Meanwhile, research from Daniel Klem Jr. and Muhlenberg College colleagues published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology suggests the true number could reach 3.5 billion birds annually. “For me, birds and all they offer us humans at many levels warrant humans protecting them,” Klem says.

Using bird-friendly materials can mean “a conservative estimated reduction of collisions of at least 50 percent,” says Kaitlyn Parkins of ABC. Here’s how to get started.

A range of fixes, for every budget and style

Nontoxic tempera paint costs roughly 13 cents per square foot and can reduce bird collisions for years. “The simplest thing is to use a corner of a sponge and your creativity,” Sheppard says. Families can craft seasonal windows, painting turkeys for Thanksgiving or stars for July Fourth. Markings must be applied to the outside of reflective windows, Klem says, and can be removed with vinegar and water.
External screens and netting cost less than $2 per square foot. Everyday window screens reduce collisions by breaking up reflections and providing cushioned impact surfaces if birds do collide.
Tape, decals and adhesive films run about $2.50 to $12 per square foot. These are also applied to window exteriors, spaced no more than 2 inches apart in any direction. Single decals fail because birds see gaps they can fly through.
Professional films used in commercial retrofit projects typically run $8 to $28 per square foot for materials and installation, although residential applications may cost less. Products like Feather Friendly come in various patterns, including do-it-yourself versions; Klem also likes CollidEscape for retrofits.
Vertical cord systems from Acopian BirdSavers can run about $40 to $60 for a 21- to 26-inch window and are fairly innocuous when viewed from inside. The website also offers free DIY instructions for those interested in crafting their own systems.
Motorized custom solar shades combine elegance with effectiveness for aesthetic-conscious homeowners. “When you’re not in the room, the glass is covered. When you are in the room, you can open it and enjoy the view,” Sheppard says. Since early morning poses the highest risk, automated shades protect birds when families typically are sleeping.

An image of an art installation that was created to be a deterrent to birds.

Start small and start a trend

Whichever option you choose, Sheppard advises starting smart but simple.

“The big windows are probably the priority,” she says, “but there’s a very strong correlation between glass that reflects vegetation and glass where there’s a lot of collisions.” For example, a bedroom window reflecting nearby trees might cause more strikes than a large picture window facing fewer trees. Windows near bird feeders or fruit trees pose elevated risks.

Identify problem areas by going outside and viewing your windows from a bird’s perspective. If you see branches or sky reflected in the glass, birds will too. When you’re ready to act, ABC provides links to evaluated products and guidance. According to Sheppard, any window treatment beats doing nothing.

Beyond making changes at individual homes, community organizing can amplify benefits. More than 25 jurisdictions across the country—from Madison, Wisconsin, to New York City—have mandatory policies requiring new commercial development, and in some places residential construction, to incorporate bird-safe design.

“Being the first home on your block can act as inspiration,” Sheppard says. “Most of these things aren’t even noticeable to other people. What we need is for it to become the norm.”

A pilot study in Lake County, Illinois, found that observed fatal bird strikes decreased by 50 percent on front windows (which often face a street or a yard) and 80 percent on south-facing windows following bird-friendly upgrades. The county now requires new residential construction to use a minimum of 80 percent bird-friendly glass. Washington, D.C., joined the movement with its 2022 Migratory Local Wildlife Protection Act, establishing bird-friendly regulations for new construction.

Those municipal efforts have been especially critical since April 2025, when the Trump administration reinstated its 2017 interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, limiting the scope of responsibility for commercial entities when migratory birds are killed—even when those deaths are foreseeable.

For his part, Klem would like to see stricter interpretation and consistent enforcement of the Act, “recognizing the need to protect birds as unintended victims,” he says. Until then, “laws and building codes draw attention to the need to protect birds,” which he hopes will stimulate increased use of bird-safe glass, ultimately lowering prices for commercial and residential customers alike.

For places without local regulations, “We have lots of resources available for anyone interested in getting a bird-friendly building ordinance passed where they live,” Parkins says.

The bottom line? “People really hate killing birds,” Sheppard says. “They don’t like working in buildings that kill birds. They don’t want to live in a place that kills birds.”

Heide Brandes is a journalist in Oklahoma.