Dec 30, 1969 - 02:58 PM

High on the list of world problems to be solved is that of songbirds flying into windows. Fall migration is over, with its countless casualties, but window glass is a concern in winter, too, especially when a raptor dives down and puts smaller birds to flight.

I was elated to hear about some new "fixes" to the horrific collision statistics, estimated at 900 million bird fatalities a year in North America, a million in the GTA. I was chatting with Columbus resident Valerie Hunt as we dug invasive garlic mustard from a local nature reserve last month and found out she's a longtime volunteer for FLAP, the group that rescues stunned, wounded birds that slam into Toronto's highrise buildings. The lucky ones that don't die.

Valerie told me about new ultraviolet decals to stick on windows. Of electrostatic plastic, they can be moved at will and, being transparent, they're invisible to humans. But birds, which have more retinal cones in their eyes and detect a wider colour spectrum, see a glowing image that breaks up the reflection of sky or trees in the window -- too often a death trap they fly into.

Eager to try out this simple, cheap solution, I checked out www.WindowAlert.com whose founder, Spencer Schock, upset to find birds flying into his office window in Oregon, developed the ultraviolet decals in 2003. To find a retail source in Durham Region, I went to www.WildBirdTrading.com with good success. They come in several patterns, from maple leaves to snowflakes to butterflies, and any local wildlife store can order them for you.

I already have tried-and-true garden netting mounted over all my big windows, breaking up the reflection and providing a soft landing trampoline for any birds startled by a predator. I'll experiment with my new decals on a sliding door normally dotted with sticky notes, the other easy solution. Ultraviolet paint reflects sunlight and I want to make sure the decals work on dull, dark days. They're small, so you have to put up several.

Valerie also told me about CollidEscape, a film designed for advertising on buses that's ideal for putting on windows near bird feeders. Birds see an opaque surface, not a reflection, yet you can see through it from inside. Experts advise placing feeders a few feet from the house, so fleeing birds can't get up momentum when they're startled. With this film covering your window, you can get quite close without birds seeing you.

More good news from Valerie: Toronto is about to pass a law requiring builders to take birds into consideration with lighting and construction materials in all future designs. Almost as many birds crash into mirrored buildings by day as into skyscrapers by night.

Check out flap@flap.org and www.lfdcollidescape.com.

Other nature queries: 905-725-2116 or mcarney@interlinks.net.