Dear Keith,
There are a number of things you can do to help prevent bird strike. The
Swift Parrot Recovery Team (working in Tasmania) will be publishing a
brochure in late October which explains the various options. They include
the following:
o Let your windows get dirty (they're less reflective and appear less like
an open flight path).
o Draw drapes and blinds when possible.
o Cover the outside of windows with netting. Leave a space between the
window and netting so that if a bird hits the netting its impact will be
cushioned.
o Place pot plants in front of your window.
o Attach spider web decals to your window as most birds will avoid webs.
o Hang mobiles, wind chimes or silhouettes (not necessarily raptors) in
front of windows. Raptor silhouettes are most effective when they uniformly
cover the glass surface (around 5-10 cm apart) - anything that breaks up
the reflection.
o Hang strips of material such as ribbons along the full width of the
window or chain link fences (5 cm apart).
o Place shade cloth around chain link fences (for example, tennis courts).
oPosition attractants such as feeders, bird baths and nutritious vegetation
within half a metre of windows so that when birds leave they have not built
up enough momentum to injure themselves.
In addition, if you are ever in the position of designing a new home or
office building, there are other things you can do:
o Replace clear or tinted panes with frosted or non-reflective glass.
o Ensure windows are not on opposite sides of the room creating an inviting
flightpath for birds.
o Avoid placing windows so that they appear to extend the garden or sky
through reflection.
o Windows with large panes and a surface area greater than 2m2 near the
ground or >3m in height are the worst offenders.
You might be interested in an article in Wingspan (September 1999 p. 6)
which discussed the high mortality of birds caused by windows and posed
solutions. Unfortunately, this toll goes largely unnoticed throughout the
world, as all of us assume 'it's only the odd bird'. But when all buildings
kill 'only the odd bird', it adds up to a lot of birds!
If you would like to obtain a copy of the brochure when it's published,
email Ray Brereton (Swift Parrot Recovery Coordinator) at
<> and he can forward you a copy.
Regards,
Lee O'Mahoney
_________________________
Ms Lee O'Mahoney
Research and Conservation Development Coordinator
Birds Australia
415 Riversdale Rd
Hawthorn East VIC 3123
Ph: 03 9882 2622
Fx: 03 9882 2677
Web: http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
