Birds/birdfeeder question

[Afreet]

OK, I know this is totally random, but I hoped someone here might have some ideas.

We have a birdfeeder that we would like to hang on our back porch, but we have a huge glass window right there, and we have had birds fly into it when we keep the feeder too close.

To prevent that, we have set up a few feeders about 20 feet away, but now the deer have been raiding those feeders and devouring EVERYTHING. Ordinarily this wouldn't bug me - I love the deer, too - but we don't want the birds to go hungry. We can hang a feeder out of the deer's reach on our porch, but we don't want any window casualties.

We have tried the little window decals that are supposed to prevent bird-window collisions, but they don't work for us. Have any of you figured out a good way of preventing birds from flying into your windows?

 

[Gayle]

Hi Afreet - Feederwatch.org has some guidelines in distance placement to prevent window strikes.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/SafeFeedingEnvironment.htm

HTH

 

[kathryn]

I've seen where people have covered the window with some kind of film that is reflective on the outside (so the birds see themselves and won't run into the window) but allows you to look out and see them. In addition to preventing deaths by windowstrike, it's especially nice for households with cats, since the cats can watch the birds all day without disturbing the birds.

Another thought would be to put some kind of tape on the windows in a crosshatch pattern, which might look rather weird, but would give the birds some sense of depth perception (I think).

 

[Davidj]

Install birdfeeder next to window

Afreet and others,
I posted a piece last sommer, having the unfortunate experience of witnessing a stunned finch, one that apparently hit my window (it survived and flew off).

What I do is this: install the feeder under the overhang, but put it beside the window, and not directly in front of the window. Place the feeder so that you can see the birds feed from the window, but from an angle. This way the birds will fly to the feeder, and avoid the window.

My problem is with squirrels raiding the feeders. What I do is place the feeder high enough, and close to the wall, near the window -- so the squirrels cannot get to it.

A long time ago -- before I became a bird lover and fed birds -- I had a bird kill itself on my picture window. I noticed I had the drapes open in another window nearby, so that the bird was seeing sunlight through both windows. So as a tip: if you have the drapes open in one window, make sure the drapes are closed in adjacent windows. This goes for everybody, those who feed birds and those who do not.
-- Davidj

 

[Govtgirl]

.....Place the feeder so that you can see the birds feed from the window, but from an angle. This way the birds will fly to the feeder, and avoid the window...

Wow, I had the answer and didn't know it! That's just how my birdfeeder is placed, and I've never had a bird fly into the window.

........My problem is with squirrels raiding the feeders. What I do is place the feeder high enough, and close to the wall, near the window -- so the squirrels cannot get to it. Davidj

One thing I do sometimes is spray the post with PAM. The squirrels jump up, and then s-l-i-i-i-i-i-i-d-e back down! It doesn't hurt them, and is hysterical to watch!

 

[Afreet]

Thanks for the ideas!

I can't really adjust the feeder to the appropriate collision-prevention angle, due to the particular arrangement of our window/porch/hanger situation. I am going to try a combination of suggestions: my sweetie and are are cutting out white paper snowflakes and we will a tape a bunch of them to the outside of the window. Hopefully this will break up the reflection sufficiently! It will also be very festive.

The feeder would be less than five feet from the windows, but we have seen some birds (especially cardinals - dang it!) fly into the window pretty hard when startled.