Hello I live in the Eastern U.S. and I have a LOT of hummingbirds here right now. I like taking pictures and watching them through my windows, so i keep them very clean. When its 95+ degrees outside you will want to take pictures from the windows also. Now the problem is im scared that a hummingbird is going to see it's reflection in the window then try to run off the reflection and hit the window. Does anyone know a way i can keep taking pictures of the hummingbirds without puting something on the window that will mess up the pictures??? If i need to i'll just put something up and take pictures from outside but there has to be another option.
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Windows??? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Cris
- Start date
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Even though all 3 of my feeders are hung under the eaves and right next to sliding glass doors, I've never had a single hummer hit them. They'll hummmm over and check out the reflection, hovering up and down just like they do to each other, beak to beak, but no window strikes in 4 seasons (knocking on wood here). Probably wouldn't hurt to put up some decals or tape in areas of the glass that won't interfere with your photography.
crickieheather
Hummer-crazy
I had my feeder under the eaves last year. It was near a sliding glass door. I had the same fear, but none of the 5 I saw last year even came close. Even when one male was chasing off everyone else, he'd chase them into the patio area, but not close to the door. I had a female checking out her reflection, and a juv. male catching gnats that were running into the glass. They seem to be pretty smart about that kind of thing.
Laura Erickson
Member
Current research by Dr. Daniel Klem of Muhlenberg College indicates that the closer bird feeders are to windows, the LESS likely birds are to hit windows, when the feeder is within 3 feet or about 1 meter from the window glass. I take hummingbird photos through my windows, and have never had a strike, but I do have feeders right on the windows. If you have a feeder set on an overhang near the window, the bird is likely to notice and figure out the glass rather quickly. Birds "shadowbox" with their reflections, but seldom get hurt except when they see reflected trees and sky and are flying at top speed as if the glass weren't there at all.
Laura Erickson
Member
I posted some information about avoiding window strikes on my webpage at www.lauraerickson.com/BirderBlog/Conservation/PartI/05-Windows.html -- Hope it's helpful!
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humminbird
Well-known member
Laura Erickson said:
Laura:
This is interesting. Does it refer only to hummingbirds or to seed eaters as well. The reason I ask - I have only one window that I am having collision problems with. That is also the ONLY window I have a seed feeder within three feet of! The only birds I have collision problems with - seed eaters.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
crickieheather
Hummer-crazy
humminbird said:
Interesting on my part too. I have a seed feeder 10 feet from my sliding door, but have never had a collision at all. In fact, I have a wren that likes to come right on to the patio and look for slugs (they eat the stray bits of catfood). It bounces around on the patio and chairs out there, but never has run into the glass. It may be reflection / time of day. Certain windows turn into mirrors when the sun hits them just right. You can hang little streamers in from of the glass, and there are little bird static clings that help too.
Static clings:
http://store.windowalert.com/
Bird Screen:
http://www.birdscreen.com/
Whole window film:
http://www.flap.org/new/film.htm
Feather Guard:
http://featherguard.com/
Whole window film that looks like stained glass:
http://www.artscape-inc.com/
You can buy these at any Home Depot
In my research, several people said the screen and the whole window film works much better than anything else. Be careful about the screen, however, as hummers can get their tiny beaks caught in the squares.
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Laura Erickson
Member
Mortality of window strikes is supposed to be smallest when the birds are taking off before they get up to their full flight speed (and we're talking about feeder birds in general here). That's why the closer to the windows, the better, in Dr. Klem's study, which was just published in The Wilson Bulletin. I completely eliminated mortality at my worst window by putting acrylic feeders with suction cups on the window. That link I posted has some photos I've taken of windows with screening at the Annette Rowe Sanctuary in Nebraska and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology--that eliminated kills at some of their worst windows.
http://www.lauraerickson.com/BirderBlog/Conservation/PartI/05-Windows.html
http://www.lauraerickson.com/BirderBlog/Conservation/PartI/05-Windows.html
humminbird
Well-known member
Statistically, we may have a valid conclusion, but the window I refer to has a plastic feeder attached to it by suction cups.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
Mark
Bastrop, TX
Laura Erickson
Member
Where are the birds that are colliding flying in from? Are they at a more distant feeder, or non-feeder species?
humminbird
Well-known member
Most are coming off a pecan tree to that feeder!
Mark
Mark
Laura Erickson
Member
What species? Placing feeders on or close to windows protects feeder species. These appear to be birds that are feeding not at the feeder but in the tree. I would think the only way you can really protect them is with window screening or those UV window decals, placed on the OUTSIDE of the glass.
humminbird
Well-known member
Laura:
You are dealing with a biologist.
I stated clearly that they are coming from the tree TO THAT FEEDER. Species:
Thryothorus ludovicianus - clearly a feeder bird
Cardinalis cardinalis - clearly a feeder bird
Carduelis tristis - definitely a feeder bird - these are probably most common when they are in the area.
Carduelis pinus - this was the first year I had them here but they hit the window several times.
My point is, what works in one area may not work in all areas. Often a success that is attributed to one action overlooks other activities that may have contributed to it. Based on my own observations, I am not going to jump on a band wagon and recommend something wholeheartedly - nor am I going to tell people not to try it. I think this idea may have potential - just not everywhere.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
You are dealing with a biologist.
I stated clearly that they are coming from the tree TO THAT FEEDER. Species:
Thryothorus ludovicianus - clearly a feeder bird
Cardinalis cardinalis - clearly a feeder bird
Carduelis tristis - definitely a feeder bird - these are probably most common when they are in the area.
Carduelis pinus - this was the first year I had them here but they hit the window several times.
My point is, what works in one area may not work in all areas. Often a success that is attributed to one action overlooks other activities that may have contributed to it. Based on my own observations, I am not going to jump on a band wagon and recommend something wholeheartedly - nor am I going to tell people not to try it. I think this idea may have potential - just not everywhere.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
pianoman
duck and diver, bobolink and weaver
Hi Cris - This is to do with birds and glass generally, not just hummers (if only there were hummers near me!)
The only time there is a possibility that a bird will injure itself flying into glass is if there is another window on the back (opposite) wall of the room, in other words the bird thinks it can fly straight through. That's a pretty unusual situation but we had that configuration in an office I worked in and had a couple of pigeon casualties. It has also happened against a bus window - again the bird can see out the window on the opposite side of the bus. But it's rare I think. Your feeder would be outside the glass anyway so I'm sure there would be no problem.
cheers - Andrew
The only time there is a possibility that a bird will injure itself flying into glass is if there is another window on the back (opposite) wall of the room, in other words the bird thinks it can fly straight through. That's a pretty unusual situation but we had that configuration in an office I worked in and had a couple of pigeon casualties. It has also happened against a bus window - again the bird can see out the window on the opposite side of the bus. But it's rare I think. Your feeder would be outside the glass anyway so I'm sure there would be no problem.
cheers - Andrew
pianoman
duck and diver, bobolink and weaver
Sorry Humminbird - I reread some of the posts and realize that you have actually witnessed a window-crash, so I stand corrected. All the same, window feeders are quite common here and don't seem to cause a problem except perhaps in the circumstances above. Also, the "fly-through" situation isn't specific to window feeders, but windows generally.
humminbird
Well-known member
Pianoman:
Birds will also hit windows when:
They see their reflection and go after it as a rival
or
They are startled when on a nearby feeder including a window feeder and try suddenly to fly away.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
Birds will also hit windows when:
They see their reflection and go after it as a rival
or
They are startled when on a nearby feeder including a window feeder and try suddenly to fly away.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
Laura Erickson
Member
I'm sorry you took offense, humminbird. I thought it sort of was clear that the birds helped by having a feeder on the window are the birds eating at that feeder. Birds feeding away from the window feeder may have reached a fatally high speed by the time they hit the window. The only thing that approaches 100% effectiveness at eliminating window kills is having a taut screen set out far enough from the window that when birds hit it they have a trampoline effect. And that ISN'T 100% effective at preventing hummingbird deaths, because they sometimes get their beaks caught in the screen.
When a bird takes off from a window feeder that is actually ON the window, the bird can't possibly be flying at top speed in the inches it takes to hit the window. Since the species you list also feed on the ground and perch in trees, I suspect they hit the window from those areas rather than the feeder itself.
When a bird takes off from a window feeder that is actually ON the window, the bird can't possibly be flying at top speed in the inches it takes to hit the window. Since the species you list also feed on the ground and perch in trees, I suspect they hit the window from those areas rather than the feeder itself.
humminbird
Well-known member
Laura Erickson said:
No offence taken Laura. However I have had another situation in which birds approaching a window mounted feeder were startled by another bird and flew into the window at near top speed. My point is that the window mounted feeders, while reducing window fatalities, are not an answer for all possible impacts. We need to keep looking.
Mark
Bastrop, TX
