This article was written by Community Conservation Fellow, Willy Sanders-Lyle.

Two New Haven parks just got a bird-friendly boost!  In October, Audubon Connecticut joined forces with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Haven Parks Department, Lights Out Connecticut, Urban Resources Initiative, Menunkatuk Audubon, and Common Ground High School to retrofit windows on ranger stations at East Rock Park and Edgewood Park.

These ranger stations were ideal candidates for bird-friendly window retrofitting because they are surrounded by bird habitat. Both buildings had highly reflective windows that created the illusion of greenspace on the other side of the glass, leading to frequent bird collisions. Thanks to the retrofitting, we expect a decrease in window strikes and bird death!

"Attracting birds by creating habitat without also treating nearby glass can lure them into potentially dangerous situations," said Jillian Bell, community conservation manager for Audubon Connecticut. Ensuring that these habitats are truly safe for the birds that use them was a major motivator to pursue these retrofits.

A grant through the Disney Conservation Fund provided resources for volunteers to retrofit windows with vinyl dots. These dots are arranged with no more than two inches between dots and the window frame, creating a clear visual cue that their flight path is blocked. More widely spaced dots and other window decals provide some level of bird-strike prevention but are not as effective as two-inch spacing and may lead to smaller birds believing they can fit though the gaps between the decals.

East Rock and Edgewood will serve as public demonstration sites for the community, giving visitors a firsthand look at how window retrofitting works. Already, many parkgoers have noted that their view through the windows was minimally obstructed, which highlights how bird-friendly designs can be implemented without compromising visibility for people. 

This is a very exciting start to bringing bird-friendly windows to New Haven. One volunteer, Craig Repasz, chair of Lights Out Connecticut, said: “We are treating a very small number of windows. However, these windows will serve as a great example for others to take similar action.”

One of the goals for the first round of window retrofitting was to raise public awareness around bird strikes and to inspire others to adopt similar prevention measures. By showing the benefits of retrofitting in action, we hope to encourage more community members to take steps to make their own homes or businesses safer for birds! Later this year, Common Ground Highschool students will retrofit windows at their school with funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

"Through this partnership, we are able to have a much greater impact than any one of our individual organizations would have on their own," said Bell.

The Importance of Bird-Friendly Buildings

Birds often fail to perceive clear or reflective glass as a barrier, instead seeing reflections of the sky, trees, or other vegetation. This can lead them to fly directly into windows. Unfortunately, these collisions are often fatal, making window strikes one of the leading human-related causes of bird deaths.

Bird collisions with windows are a significant cause of avian mortality, contributing to the decline of bird populations worldwide. Studies estimate that up to one billion birds die each year due to window strikes. This issue is particularly concerning, as many bird species are already under threat from habitat loss, climate change, and other human activities. Addressing bird collisions is essential for the conservation of avian biodiversity.

Retrofitting Windows: An Effective Solution

Retrofitting windows to be bird-friendly is a proven way to reduce these collisions. There are various methods, including applying patterned window films, installing external screens, or using specially designed bird-safe glass. These solutions help to disrupt reflections and provide visual cues that birds can detect, preventing them from flying into the glass. Retrofitting existing buildings, rather than replacing windows, is also a cost-effective and practical approach, especially for older structures.

With bird populations declining at alarming rates — North America alone has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970 — taking action to prevent window collisions is more important than ever. By adopting bird-friendly window designs, homeowners, businesses, and urban planners can play a vital role in protecting these essential creatures and supporting healthier ecosystems.