Every year in late April and early May the spring bird migration hits Wisconsin. Unfortunately, this time is very dangerous for the birds as they search for food on their route. Lisa Gaumnitz the Director of Save Our Songbirds says that every year nearly 3.5 billion birds die from running into windows in the United States.
“It is one of the biggest causes of human related bird deaths after cats,” says Gaumnitz. “They fly at night and come down to rest in the early morning, and when they look for food they might see a window that reflects a tree and think it has food then ultimately hit it an die.”
It is shown through research that although birds may fly away after hitting windows, they usually die. The top bird that is found to fly into windows are purple finches. These are followed by ruby throated hummingbirds, northern cardinals, and bluejays.
How To Help
Gaumnitz says that there are lots of options to help protect these birds from flying into windows. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by using a window screen to help prevent a reflection. Another option is the use of decals that go up on the outside of a window. These are meant to break up the reflection. These can be dots placed two inches apart across the entire window and is proven to be very effective. A third solution is the use of an acopian bird saver which is also known as a zen wind curtain. This is a “curtain” of nylon cord that has strings that blow in the wind to deter birds from getting close. Gaumnitz would also like to remind residents to turn off all unnecessary lights at night. This is so birds do not try to fly in.
“Glass is invisible to birds,” says Gaumnitz. “So, the biggest thing is to break up their reflections and signal that this is a place they shouldn’t go.”
Peak spring bird migration for Wisconsin is May 6th through the 9th in the southern part of the state and May 9th to the 12th in the northern half. Gaumnitz says that she recommends the free app called “Merlin” for those interested in watching birds this migration. This app allows you to take a photo of a bird or record it’s call and will tell you what species it is. Another source Gaumnitz recommends is birdcast.info. This website tracks the bird migration, so you know when to look for birds.
