New York City’s host of high rise buildings and skyscrapers are a spectacular sight for tourists. But for birds, they’re downright deadly. An estimated one billion birds die from window collisions in the United States each year. And as city populations increase, the problem is getting progressively worse.

This begs the question, why do birds fly into windows in the first place? And, what can be done to keep birds away from windows so that they stay safe?

In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind bird strikes and how bird safety window film can help.

keep birds away from windows

Why Do Birds Fly into Windows?

To you and I, windows are obvious no-fly zones. It seems strange that so many birds would fly headfirst into a hard object, an act that’s likely to cause serious injuries. But for birds, it isn’t so. Bird glass collisions are often the result of an honest mistake. Birds think that the reflective glass is something other than what it is, such as another bird or a safe landing spot.

Territorial Aggression

Birds are aggressive creatures. They aren’t afraid to fight for what they want. While this is an admirable trait, in the case of glass collisions, it often works out to their disadvantage. Sometimes, when birds see their own reflection in a window, they mistake it as another bird. They attempt to attack the “stranger” and injure themselves as result.

Reflections of Trees & Sky

Another common reason that birds fly into windows is that they mistake them as safe landing spots, like tree branches, cacti, and bushes. Windows reflect the environment around them and sometimes birds mistake these reflections as a real thing. They think that a reflection of a tree branch is a good, shady spot to land or build a nest. So, they fly ahead at full speed and usually end up dying as consequence.

bird safety film new york city

How to Keep Birds Away from Windows with Window Film

One of the best ways to keep birds away from windows so that these collisions don’t occur is by installing bird safety film. New York City property owners can order these films and have them installed by a professional on the exterior of their building.

Window films are great bird crash preventers because they break up the reflections that birds often mistake as their natural habitat. Using subtle patterns, lines, and dots, they distort reflections so that they look less like environmental surroundings. This helps the bird understand that something is amiss, so they fly the other way.

Learn more: Bird Safety Film Specs and Benefits

Studies show that these specialty films are incredibly effective. In fact, they work so well that they’re recommended by the American Bird Conservancy as one of the top ways to prevent glass collisions.

Get a Quote on Bird Safety Film

New York Commercial Window Film offers fast, affordable commercial window tinting in New York City. Get a quote on bird safety film by calling our office today.

Angus Faith is a window film installer with a professional background in institutional and commercial building construction and sustainable building design. After leaving his hometown in Scotland, Angus relocated to New York with his wife and family. He has been installing window film for commercial buildings in New York for over ten years and has overseen numerous projects for schools, retail buildings, office buildings, and hotels. Over the years, his training and research has allowed him to become a product expert, and gain an in-depth understanding of products from top brands like 3M, LLumar, Vista, and more. When he's not consulting on commercial window film projects, Angus enjoys spending his time visiting New York's many parks and museums and traveling abroad whenever he gets the chance.