Bird Safe Buildings ⋆ Tucson Bird Alliance Skip to content

Bird Safe Buildings​

Program

Up to a 1 billion birds die from window collisions every year in the US alone.
The majority of these strikes happen in low-rise buildings including residential areas.

Tucson, like many other cities, is experiencing rapid urbanization causing habitat loss for many species. Now more than ever, a large number of birds are found near buildings, which puts them in danger.

Tucson Bird Alliance’s Bird-Safe Buildings initiative addresses both residential window strike prevention as well as dangers posed by large commercial buildings. This program creates a safe passage and residency for millions of birds in urban, suburban and rural settings.

Three things you can do at home:

  1. Treat your windows to prevent collisions. Click here to learn how.
  2. Report any bird window strikes on iNaturalist Bird-Window Collision Project.
  3. Register for the FREE Bird Safe Buildings program. 

FAQs & Best Practices

Reflectivity

Windows often reflect the sky, trees, and surrounding vegetation, creating the illusion of open habitat.

Transparency

Glass that allows birds to see through a building can appear to be a clear flight path.

Lighting

Artificial lighting at night can disorient migrating birds, increasing the likelihood of collisions and exhaustion.

  • Install external blinds and screens to break up reflections. This is a temperature preserving method that can lower your electric bill.
  • Keep internal blinds partially closed unless it creates reflectivity. If two windows are directly across from each other, it creates a sense of fly through path for the bird and should be blocked.
  • Position feeders 0-3 feet from of a window so the birds cannot gain enough speed to do damage.
  • Turn off indoor and outdoor lighting when not in use. Install motion-detectors and timers on essential lighting. Shield outdoor lights downward.
  • Create designs on windows to make them more visible to birds. See our window treatment suggestions below.
  • Make sure that all designs are visible from at least 10 feet away. Recommendation for stripes is at least 1/8″ wide and for dots at least 1/4″ in diameter. Bigger patterns are seen better from greater distances. Space 2D markers 2 inches apart and 3D markers 4 inches apart to protect even our smallest species.

Resources

Learn more

Window Treatment Options

What to do with a bird that hit a window

What should I do with a dead bird?