How to Keep Blackbirds Away From Glass Doors

Blackbirds can easily get confused and fly into windows.

If you hear a loud "thump" on the large glass window of your home, you may have a few ideas of what it is. In many areas, one such possibility is a blackbird flying headlong into the window. According to officials at Oregon State University, there are a variety of reasons birds fly into windows: they see houseplants they think they can land on, the glass reflects outdoor shrubs or they see their own reflections and want to meet the other bird. Whatever the reason, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent the birds from harming themselves or your glass.

Things You'll Need

• Silhouettes or tape
• Statues
• Screens or nets

Instructions

1. Attach silhouettes, tape or flagging to your window to make it more visible to the birds. Any opaque attachment will allow the bird to see the window, instead of seeing through it.

2. Place a statue of an owl, hawk or other bird of prey near your window. The smaller birds will stay away if they see a hunter nearby.

3. Move houseplants away from glass windows, as birds see these and may think they can rest there. If you cannot move the plants, close the blinds or curtains so that birds cannot see the plants.

4. Move bird feeders at least 20 feet away from windows, or keep them within three feet of the window. Birds eating at these feeders will be less likely to fly into a window if the feeder is far away, or if they are slowing down to stop at the feeder.

5. Install screens or nets on the outside of the windows to obscure the glass, so that birds will see that they cannot fly through it.

Tips & Warnings

• Some garden centers and nurseries will sell special ultraviolet silhouettes; to the birds, they will highlight the glass, but humans can see through them.

References

• Oregon State University: How to Keep Birds from Crashing Into Your Windows
• Oregon State University: How to Discourage Birds