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Birds have trouble figuring out windows.
Because they don’t understand the concept of clear glass, flying headfirst into window panes is one of the leading causes of accidental bird deaths.
The trouble has been particularly bad at the Portage Lake District Library – located right along the Houghton waterfront, with trees shielding the glass on the side of the building that faces the Houghton-Hancock Bridge.
Library Director Dillon Geshel says it’s been a problem since the building was built…
At least, it’s been a problem… until recently. A library worker who is a member of Copper Country Audubon brought in some help.
Bird’s Eye View® window films are six-inch plastic films that look like frosted glass. You and I can hardly see them, but birds perceive a bright blue glow across the window surface – giving them time to change course before a collision.
Copper Country Audubon donated 30 of the films, which were added to some of the library’s most dangerous windows.
They’re supposed to cut down on bird strikes by 80 percent. Geshel hasn’t been counting, but wouldn’t dispute that…
Copper Country Audubon has also been installing some of the films on problem windows at Michigan Tech.
