Safe Wings Ottawa – Reduce bird-glass collisions at your home or cottage

Safe Wings Ottawa, a not-for-profit volunteer-based program of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, has launched a Residential Bird Collision Solutions Spring Campaign for World Migratory Bird Day 2023 (WMBD),to share information on small-scale solutions to prevent or reduce bird-glass collisions. 

Spring migration has begun, and thousands of birds who fly through or choose Ottawa as their summer home are arriving daily until late June and will be returning back starting in September.

• Safe Wings Ottawa estimates that over 250,000 birds, in Ottawa alone, collide with windows every year, including Species At Risk. Birds don’t perceive glass. What they see are reflections of trees or sky and they will fly towards them at full speed.
• The first four stories of buildings tend to have the most collisions, and they can occur at any type of building, including residences and cottages, or with clear deck railings.
• It’s especially important to make your windows bird-safe if you attract birds through feeding or plantings. Luckily there are simple solutions to make glass bird-safe!

One collision solution proven to work by scientific studies and local users is Feather Friendly window markers on the outside glass surface. Feather Friendly products can be purchased from Wild Birds Unlimited online or in-store at Ottawa and Kanata locations.

• Visit SafeWings.ca, or consult the Safe Wings Ottawa campaign poster  and cause of collisions infographic to learn how to bird-proof your home or  cottage.
• If anyone in the community finds an injured or dead bird, call Safe Wings Ottawa at 613-216-8999.

For the love of birds!

Safe Wings Ottawa Advocacy Committee