Window Film Prevents Bird Injuries at Lettuce Lake Park
- sandytownsend7
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
View our photo gallery above. Photos of Carolina Chickadee and visitors boy Lynn Mitchell. All others by Jonathan Hoiles.
Story by Lynn Mitchell, Tampa Audubon Member and Volunteer
Tampa Audubon and Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation recently partnered to help prevent birds from getting injured or killed when they fly into the large windows at the nature center at Lettuce Lake Park.
The county installed dotted window film at the Joel Jackson Nature Center, where windows overlook the park’s fountain and bird feeders. Birds attracted to the area often strike the windows, which can lead to stunned and injured birds, or even worse, their death.
Tampa Audubon purchased the window film for $2,500 from Feather Friendly. Glen Murley, park supervisor, and his staff contributed numerous hours of labor to install the bird collision deterrent technology.
Visitors to the nature center have had positive things to say about the window film, Murley said. Several visitors have expressed an interest in using the film to create a safer environment for birds at their homes and businesses. (See a list of bird strike deterrent systems here.)
Are bird window strikes a problem?
The world’s population of birds has decreased by an estimated to be 2.8 billion in the last thirty years. One element of this loss is due to bird collisions with windows. Every year, over a billion birds die from window strikes.
Before the film installation, an average of eight birds died each year at Lettuce Lake Park by window strikes at the nature center. An even larger number of birds were found stunned in the garden area below the windows. There was a need to find a solution without degrading the view from inside the building.
Clearly, the park needed to stop bird strikes without compromising bird watching. In response to this need, Tampa Audubon board member Lucy Polak, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Tampa, helped Tampa Audubon research and procure the anti-strike window film.
Bird collisions with windows are a significant concern. Birds often fail to recognize glass as a barrier, which creates a risk of impact. With the addition of the window film, the glass is now visible to birds. A second benefit is the film provides a one-way mirror effect. The viewers inside the center can enjoy seeing birds at close range without movement on the inside frightening the birds.
The word about the danger of window strikes is spreading. Window film campaigns in other states are taking place through outreach efforts to educate the public about birds and their importance to ecosystems.
For example, the Juneau Alaska Audubon chapter is sharing the vital story of bird collisions with public and private entities. They encourage them to install window film on their windowed buildings.
Preventing bird window strikes is a shared responsibility that benefits wildlife and people. By making simple changes to windows, lighting, and landscaping, individuals and organizations can significantly reduce bird collisions.
Creating bird-safe environments supports biodiversity and promotes coexistence with nature in our daily lives. In some small way, let’s all be a part of this growing effort!
Help fund the window film at Lettuce Lake
If you would like to help Tampa Audubon in our efforts to protect birds and the environment through efforts like reducing bird collisions, you can make a tax deductible contribution. Here is a link explaining several ways you can make a donation. Please make a note on your donation that it is for window film at Lettuce Lake Park.
Tips for preventing window collisions at your home or business
More information, along with excellent tips, is offered by National Audubon in the link below:
The film used at Lettuce Lake was purchased from: https://featherfriendly.com/
Other sources and ideas for preventing bird collisions include:
· Acopian Bird Savers - https://www.birdsavers.com/
· One-way transparent film, such as Collidescape: https://www.collidescape.org/
· Solyx Bird Safety Window Films, https://www.decorativefilm.com/specialty-bird-safety
· Bird Divert, https://www.birddivert.com/
· Tempera paint or soap
· Decals, stickers, sun catchers and mylar strips
Other home solutions can be found here: https://abcbirds.org/strategies/solutions-for-homes/