Alongside bringing joy to your garden, birds are an essential part of the wider ecosystem – so it is only natural to want to protect these important creatures.
If you're an animal lover or you're planning on creating a wildlife garden, bird feeders are an effective way of inviting these creatures into your outdoor space. However, according to one expert, your bird feeder may be doing more harm than good.
According to Marc Parnell, author of the book series, The Birding Pro's Field Guides, you should keep your feeder at a distance of 25 feet or more from your window – to prevent fatal window collisions.
Approximately 600 million birds a year die following an impact in the US alone – 253 million of those collisions are with residential properties. Here's how Marc suggests combatting that figure.
Where to place your bird feeder to prevent window collisions
Marc recommends placing the feeder '25 feet or more from all nearby windows or immediately next to any windows' to lower the risk of impact.
'The primary concern with feeders situated in the danger zone (about three to 25 feet away from windows) is that birds can generate enough momentum to make a window strike fatal,' he says. This is becasue the bird does not have 'sufficient time to avoid the obstacle if quickly fleeing the feeder station' if the bird is flying from a predator or seeking shelter.
When making your garden bird-friendly, Marc suggests that taking care of these creatures extends beyond the conventional feeder and bird bath ideas. He also urges you to invest in UV-reflective decals for your window. These will alert birds to the presence of a potential hazard without making any serious commitment.
'These decals are often available in garden-friendly silhouettes, such as butterflies, flowers, leaves, or even birds,' Marc explains.
These simple (yet effective) ideas will bird-proof your plot, so you can can continue to attract birds to your garden and enjoy their company for many seasons to come.
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