Bird Strike Prevention

Bird Safety Film Saves Lives & Money

Many of today’s modern windows come with highly reflective exteriors. Modern commercial buildings are frequently made up of walls of windows. Not only do they look like they are reflecting the wide-open sky to people, but they also look like open sky to birds. This has led to numerous bird collisions when the birds fly right into the reflective glass. Bird advocacy groups report that bird-on-glass collisions result in hundreds of millions of bird fatalities each year in this country, much more than the bird deaths caused by accidents with power lines, towers, and wind turbines combined.

Get bird strike prevention for your commercial building’s windows with a “bird window film,” also known as a fretted window film.

fritted film bird strike protection

The Benefits

Bird Strike Prevention

Fritted film is a type of window film that has patterns, lines, or dots embedded into it for the purpose of having birds recognize it as a wall, not clear blue sky. It's available with horizontal lines, vertical lines, or a dot pattern, and it can be customized as well. With a fritted bird strike prevention window film, you’ll get the same effect and the same results, for a fraction of the cost of replacing windows with genuine fritted glass.

Avoid Window Damage

Subtle fritted patterns make large, reflective windows clearly distinguishable from the sky. Not only does this help save the lives of hundreds of birds a year, it can also help businesses save thousands otherwise spent on messy cleanups and, in some cases, glass replacement due to excessive residue from impact, or cracked window panes. Our fritted bird strike prevention film can be cleaned as usual and can also be removed if desired.

Protect Wildlife

Subtle fritted patterns make large, reflective windows clearly distinguishable from the sky. Not only does this help save the lives of hundreds of birds a year, it can also help businesses save thousands otherwise spent on messy cleanups and, in some cases, glass replacement due to excessive residue from impact, or cracked window panes. Our fritted bird strike prevention film can be cleaned as usual and can also be removed if desired.

Why Do Birds Fly into Windows?

There are many factors that may cause a bird to accidentally collide with a window. The truth is, birds don’t realize what they’re doing.

When they look at the window, they do not recognize it as glass. Instead, they’re attracted to the reflections of nearby trees, bushes, flowers, and vegetation. They may even see house plants located on the inside and attempt to navigate towards them. They may be searching for a safe place to land, rest, or build a nest.

Then, they fly into the glass at full speed. The sudden impact causes serious injuries and may result in paralysis or fatality.

Another reason this happens is the bird mistakes their own reflection as another bird. Birds are extremely territorial and will do everything they can to protect their home or food supply. They attempt to attack the reflection, which results in the same devastating consequences.

bird safety film
bird strike prevention

What Can Be Done to Stop Bird Collisions?

Birds are an important animal species. Without them, the world would be quite different. These creatures play a key role in maintaining the health of the ecosystems in which they live. They pollinate plants, clean up debris, and control insect populations.

If we are to stop bird strikes from happening, we must create buildings that are safer for birds. We can make windows easier for birds to see by:

  • Applying bird safety decals or vinyl window stickers
  • Installing safety distraction markers on windows
  • Retrofitting windows with one-way transparent film
  • Installing dotted or fretted window film

Recommended by the American Bird Conservancy

The American Bird Conservancy recommends using patterns such as dots or lines to help birds identify glass. There are very specific requirements for these patterns in regards to spacing. If the spacing between dots or lines is too small, birds will not see it from far away. However, if the spacing is too large, a small bird may think they can fly through the window.

Here is the criteria that must be met:

  • Patterns that rely on dots must have dots that are at least 1/4 inch in size.
  • Stripes should be at least 1/8 inch wide.
  • Lines or stripes should be placed approximately 2″ apart.

This criteria can be met with bird safety window film. In fact, the American Bird Conservancy actually describes bird strike prevention window film as being a  “highly effective” method. At Scottish Window Tinting, we offer a number of bird safety window films from leading brands such as Solyx, 3M, LLumar, and more.

bird collision film
anti bird collision film

Where Should I Install Bird Safety Film?

Bird safety films can be used for both commercial and residential properties. All windows and areas made of glass should be carefully analyzed for their level of risk. However, window film may not be needed for every single window. Most of the time, the safety of the property can be approved greatly by retrofitting only a handful of windows.

The windows which are most deadly should be prioritized. These include:

  • Windows with a history of causing bird collisions
  • Windows located near an area where a dead bird was found
  • Extremely large windows
  • Windows that are highly reflective
  • Windows through which house plants and succulents can be seen
  • Glass areas located near bird houses, feeders, or bird baths

Bird Strike Prevention Resources

If you are interested in learning more about how you can protect the birds that live in your community, you may want to check out these resources:

  • All About Birds: This website has a ton of great information about how to build a bird-friendly home. They also have some excellent articles about bird strikes.
  • The American Bird Conservancy: The American Bird Conservancy discusses glass collisions in detail and recognizes them as one of the greatest threats to birds.
  • Bird Watching Daily: Bird Watching Daily has tons of great articles on how to help birds, including how to stop birds from hitting windows.
  • Bird Watcher’s Digest: Bird Watcher’s Digest provides an abundance of conservation tips as well as information on things you can do at home to help birds.
bird strike prevention window film
solyx bird safety film

Window Film Products for Preventing Bird Glass Collisions

As the awareness of bird strikes continues to spread and become more prioritized by the public, so does the availability of bird safety products. At Scottish Window Tinting, we carry a number of window films that are designed specifically to address the issue of bird glass collisions. Here are some of our favorites:

Benefits of Installing Fretted Window Film for your Business

If you’ve been having issues with birds hitting your windows, fretted window film could be the solution you need. These window films are increasing in popularity every day due to their versatility, affordability, and ease of use. Here are some of the benefits:

  • Bird conservation: Installing a fritted window film is a great way to protect the birds who live in your community and the environment as a whole.
  • No construction: Fritted films can be installed on top of existing glass, eliminating the need for construction.
  • Affordable: Bird safety films are more affordable than fritted glass and provide all the same benefits.
  • Accident prevention: In addition to preventing bird collisions, these films may also help prevent human and vehicular accidents by making glass overpasses, skywalks, conference rooms, and walls easier to see.
  • Aesthetics: Fritted films come in many different aesthetic options. You can choose the design that complements your building the best thanks to the wide selection of styles available. Some films even have one-way visibility so they can only be seen by birds outside and are not noticeable when you’re looking out the window from indoors.
  • Building code compliance: Many cities require a bird safety plan for new construction. Fretted films can be used for such purposes and can help you maintain compliance with building code requirements.
bird window clings

Bird Safety Film FAQ

It depends on what type of film you buy. You can buy DIY distraction marker kits that cost as low as $15.99 per square foot. For a middle-of-the-line film, you can expect to pay a slightly higher price. These films average about $30-40 per 24″ x 32″ window. High grade films are more expensive. If you have the film professionally installed (which we absolutely recommend), you should also factor in the cost for labor.

You can buy bird safety film online if you want to install it yourself. However, be warned, it is difficult to install any window film perfectly unless you have professional experience. If you buy your film from a window tinting company like us, we’ll do the hard work for you and make sure that your film is free of bubbles and creases.

Yes, it does! It’s even recommended by the American Bird Conservancy.

Bird glass collisions are an extremely pressing issue. It’s estimated that approximately one billion birds die in the United States each year from flying into windows. Approximately 50% of these accidents are due to collisions with residential buildings. If every homeowner installed bird safety film, the number of annual bird deaths would be dramatically lower than it is currently. 

Window films can last for up to 10 years, sometimes longer. If you buy an external film, the lifespan may be slightly shorter. However, if you take good care of your film and follow the recommended instructions for cleaning, you should be able to get several years out of it.

We get it. No one wants their views ruined by some obscure pattern on their windows. The good news is, most bird safety films are extremely hard to detect from the inside. Some are even specially designed for one-way visibility. If you’re worried about the way they look, we recommend going with one of these instead of a normal dotted or striped film.

The first step in having fretted window film installed for your building is to give us a call. That way, we can get an understanding of your situation, its seriousness, and what products will be best suited for your needs. Then, during your consultation, we can show you samples of different styles of film and how they look on your windows. 

After you decide on a style you like and choose a day for the installation, we’ll do the rest. On the day of your appointment, we’ll arrive with the film pre-cut so that the installation time is as quick as possible. Then, we’ll clean your windows, prime them, and install the film. Once your fretted film is fully dried and cured, it will be fully installed.

That is the goal! Bird safety window films are one of the most effective ways to stop birds from hitting windows and are also one of the least invasive methods.

So long as the patterns are correctly spaced, yes. Bird safety film should work for both large and small birds. For the best results, choose a film with 2” spacing between lines or dots sized at least ½” in diameter.

These are not full sized window films. Rather, bird safety film kits are rolls of patterned tape that act more like distraction markers. 

Bird safety film is a type of bird window deterrent. There are many methods for keeping birds away from windows including screens, stickers, and tape. Any one of these could be considered a bird window deterrent. However, some options are considered to be more effective than others. Bird safety window films are one of the best rated options as customers generally experience satisfactory results. 

If your commercial building has reflective windows and issues with birds flying into them, contact us today for a free quote on fritted bird strike reduction window film.

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