A bird flew into my window.

propita · January 31 2013, 01:55 AM

I mean INTO the window. The window being closed at the time.

I was at the computer and heard a huge BOOM, then silence. I got up, opened the front door, and saw a pigeon fly off, losing lots of those little soft feathers. I looked at my window and saw a circular smudge with a bit of blood.

What the hell was that bird doing flying INTO a window? What, did it not see the house sitting there?

Anybody else have this happen or know why a bird would do this?

Mr. Laser Beam · January 31 2013, 01:56 AM

^ Maybe it saw its reflection and thought it was another bird.

Spot's Meow · January 31 2013, 01:57 AM

I really have no idea why they would do that, I hope it's okay. Did anyone else immediately start singing "come to my window" when they read the thread title? Just me?

propita · January 31 2013, 02:03 AM

Well, at least the bird didn't try to "crawl inside" and "wait by the light of the moon."

And I'm not sure how it could see a reflection. The mark left and the sound both imply it came at a pretty good speed. Stupid bird!

M'Sharak · January 31 2013, 02:21 AM

propita wrote:

I mean INTO the window. The window being closed at the time.

I was at the computer and heard a huge BOOM, then silence. I got up, opened the front door, and saw a pigeon fly off, losing lots of those little soft feathers. I looked at my window and saw a circular smudge with a bit of blood.

What the hell was that bird doing flying INTO a window? What, did it not see the house sitting there?

Anybody else have this happen or know why a bird would do this?

Is there another window in the same room, on an opposite or adjacent wall, or a doorway through which another window can be seen?

What can happen is that the bird sees daylight on the other side of a darker area, doesn't see that there's a glass barrier, and thinks the room is simply a space which it can fly through. Just closing a window blind or door might be all it takes; hanging something easily-visible in the center of the window may also discourage bird/window collisions.

Edit:

See also:
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/02/9-...ow-collisions/

trekkiedane · January 31 2013, 02:25 AM

^[ETA:Seems I was a bit late with this:]

propita wrote:

What the hell was that bird doing flying INTO a window? What, did it not see the house sitting there?

Sure it saw the house -but the thing about windows is that they're -transparent! -Birds don't know about glass, you see, and that's why most places with large windows have silhouettes of birds of prey glued onto them; it scares away other birds from the transparent areas

I've only had that experience once -and had to go out and kill the poor thing as it had a broken wing from the impact

Finn · January 31 2013, 02:36 AM

trekkiedane wrote:

Sure it saw the house -but the thing about windows is that they're -transparent! -Birds don't know about glass, you see, and that's why most places with large windows have silhouettes of birds of prey glued onto them; it scares away other birds from the transparent areas

I've never seen those silhouettes

trekkiedane · January 31 2013, 02:40 AM

^Hmm... see the link M'Sharak provided

Obviously it has to do with the quality of the glass; in certain climates it is more normal to have tinted glass -which a bird might see as impervious.

Finn · January 31 2013, 02:57 AM

^You said most places with big windows have those....yet I haven't seen one

Captain Ice · January 31 2013, 02:58 AM

Spot's Meow wrote:

I really have no idea why they would do that, I hope it's okay. Did anyone else immediately start singing "come to my window" when they read the thread title? Just me?

I didn't start singing come to my window, but the first thought that came to my mind was that this sounded just like the Windex commercials.

propita, were the blinds on the window that the bird flew into open or closed? Are there windows on any of the others walls in the same room that had open blinds/drapes? As M'Sharak pointed out, if the bird can see daylight through it, then it doesn't know that the surface is impervious.

Most outside windows here are tinted anymore, so I don't hear about this happening much, but it does happen from time to time.

trekkiedane · January 31 2013, 03:02 AM

Finn wrote:

^You said most places with big windows have those....yet I haven't seen one

Might be a geographical/cultural thing then... We didn't use to have those here -but only a few years after I noticed it spreading through Germany, I also noticed it appearing up here.

And I didn't mean just 'big windows', but giant windows, like whole façades made out of glass!

scotpens · January 31 2013, 03:20 AM

Maybe this was a warning of things to come?

Finn wrote:

trekkiedane wrote:

Birds don't know about glass, you see, and that's why most places with large windows have silhouettes of birds of prey glued onto them; it scares away other birds from the transparent areas

I've never seen those silhouettes

I've neither seen nor heard of such a thing. It sounds like something you'd find in England. Everyone knows the Brits care more about animals than they do about people.

junxon · January 31 2013, 03:24 AM

i estimate hundreds of birds have killed themselves on my parents house massive windows. luckily its always tiny birds, reckon a seagull might do some damage. should suggest the silhouette thing. never heard of it before.

trekkiedane · January 31 2013, 03:26 AM

junxon wrote:

/.../ should suggest the silhouette thing.

It is a low-cost thing to do - and even simpler than regularly having to pick up dead birds.

scotpens wrote:

Maybe this was a warning of things to come?

Isn't birds flying into window-panes a sign of the apocalypse?

And here I am, thinking the 2013-apocalypse being about zombies

scotpens wrote:

I've neither seen nor heard of such a thing. It sounds like something you'd find in England. Everyone knows the Brits care more about animals than they do about people.

Or maybe the Brits don't like going to places where the view is of a nice garden filled with dead and dying birds

Naira · January 31 2013, 04:47 AM

A not-so-smart pigeon flew into a window during one of my classes back at the University. The classroom was very quiet at the time so the noise seemed too loud. I remember actually seeing the bird sliding down the window - maybe it fainted or something?

Another time, when I was doing my MSc and had an office, another pigeon flew in from the open window. The whole wall was covered in windows and they were all open except from a small narrow one on the far right side of the wall. Imagine where did the pigeon try to exit from for a couple of times before finally getting out.

January 31 2013, 01:55 AM	#1
propita Rear Admiral Location: fresno, ca, us	A bird flew into my window. I mean INTO the window. The window being closed at the time. I was at the computer and heard a huge BOOM, then silence. I got up, opened the front door, and saw a pigeon fly off, losing lots of those little soft feathers. I looked at my window and saw a circular smudge with a bit of blood. What the hell was that bird doing flying INTO a window? What, did it not see the house sitting there? Anybody else have this happen or know why a bird would do this?

January 31 2013, 01:56 AM	#2
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: A bird flew into my window. ^ Maybe it saw its reflection and thought it was another bird. __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

January 31 2013, 01:57 AM	#3
Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Location: California	Re: A bird flew into my window. I really have no idea why they would do that, I hope it's okay. Did anyone else immediately start singing "come to my window" when they read the thread title? Just me? __________________ Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future. And time future contained in time past. —T.S. Eliot

January 31 2013, 02:03 AM	#4
propita Rear Admiral Location: fresno, ca, us	Re: A bird flew into my window. Well, at least the bird didn't try to "crawl inside" and "wait by the light of the moon." And I'm not sure how it could see a reflection. The mark left and the sound both imply it came at a pretty good speed. Stupid bird!

January 31 2013, 02:40 AM	#8
trekkiedane Admiral Location: I'll let you know when I get there.	Re: A bird flew into my window. ^Hmm... see the link M'Sharak provided Obviously it has to do with the quality of the glass; in certain climates it is more normal to have tinted glass -which a bird might see as impervious. __________________ You just assume condescension because I'm European and we're known for not taking Americans seriously. It's a curse. { Emilia }

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ABOUT US

January 31 2013, 02:57 AM	#9
Finn Vice Admiral Location: West of Boston	Re: A bird flew into my window. ^You said most places with big windows have those....yet I haven't seen one

January 31 2013, 03:24 AM	#13
junxon Fleet Captain Location: I'm a Romulan now. Romulans are cool	Re: A bird flew into my window. i estimate hundreds of birds have killed themselves on my parents house massive windows. luckily its always tiny birds, reckon a seagull might do some damage. should suggest the silhouette thing. never heard of it before. __________________ I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, At your desire, Captain. - Mr Spock Hello to Jason Isaacs!

January 31 2013, 04:47 AM	#15
Naira Rear Admiral Location: Greece	Re: A bird flew into my window. A not-so-smart pigeon flew into a window during one of my classes back at the University. The classroom was very quiet at the time so the noise seemed too loud. I remember actually seeing the bird sliding down the window - maybe it fainted or something? Another time, when I was doing my MSc and had an office, another pigeon flew in from the open window. The whole wall was covered in windows and they were all open except from a small narrow one on the far right side of the wall. Imagine where did the pigeon try to exit from for a couple of times before finally getting out. __________________ TBBS Card \| "Don't Panic!"