There was a recent posting about a Cooper's Hawk fatally striking a window near a home bird feeder. Any of us who lure birds near our homes by feeding have no doubt experienced this disquieting--dare I say--sickening problem. 

At our home, we have tried many approaches to solve this problem, all but one to little effect. What does indeed work is the placement of screens on the outside of the glass, a few inches off of the glass. This has two effects: 

1) It breaks up the glare and mirror effect to a remarkable degree, resulting in almost zero strikes on that window;

2) If a bird still does make a mistake (usually only as a result of fleeing from a predator), the screen acts as a trampoline, cushioning any strike. 

We purchase ours from "The Bird Screen Company" at http://www.birdscreen.com/

There is a drawback: The screens reduce the sharpness of your views, but it seems a small price to pay given the enjoyment the birds give us...

Patrick Coy
Peninsula, OH 

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