Birds; most everyone like them. It is nice to see a flock of geese flying in a V formation. It’s exciting to see an eagle hunting on the therms. It beautiful to hear the song of a whippoorwill. It is rewarding to have hummingbirds come to your window to sip nectar from a feeder. So what happens when instead of the beauty and excitement you have bangs and thumps as birds fly into your windows. The reality is, is that is an event that happens every single day.
Birds and Glass
The problem with windows is that they are highly reflective. They reflect back the sky and from the bird’s perspective that open expanse of reflected sky is an invitation to soar directly into your window. The result is injured or dead birds. Broken wings, broken necks, broken bills, are just a few of the common injuries that birds suffer when they fly into a window.
It happens to us too:
Though you might get a chuckle out of all the videos on youtube of people walking into glass windows or doors, it can be a serious injury to humans too. The problem with glass is a term called glazing. That is the reflectiveness of the surface of the glass from different angles. When the glazing is unchecked, or natural the window from one angle or the next can become mirror-like and birds will fly towards what they think is open sky only to meet their demise with a fatal reality check. This has been going on for hundreds of years.
Bird-Safe Glass
For as bad as windows can be for birds, there is a way to help make them safer. Acid-etched glass has a lower glazing rate which means that birds are apt to see the glass rather than the sky. The treatment does not affect the view through the window and unless it is applied in a pattern is likely to never been seen by humans. Installed in Apple Valley and High Desert homes, the acid etched glass offers businesses and residential clients an cost-effective way to help protect the local and migratory bird populations. Even some of the state and local governments are getting on board with this strategies that are designed to protect bird populations. Birds after all play an important role around our homes and office buildings. Swallows, for instance, eat their body weight each day in mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are known to spread West Nile Virus and other diseases such as Malaria. Birds are clearly a good addition to our yards and neighborhoods.
Vern’s Glass offers bird-safe glass and treatment for existing glass, especially custom glass projects and windows. If your home or business is in need of window replacement make sure to upgrade to bird-safe glass. If you have a glass replacement project, use bird-safe glass and ask the folks at Vern’s Glass about the options to treat all of your commercial or residential windows. Window repair and glass repair projects are the perfect opportunity to make your home bird friendly.
