Window decals to avoid crashes?

RavensGryf · Aug 6, 2014

Today I moved my Budgie Twigs into the room with the 3 parrots so he won't be depressed and lonely. He seems to be adjusting well, despite losing his best friend Pix yesterday.

For safety reasons that are particular to where we live and the set up, the parrots are long clipped. But Twigs the Budgie is flighted. Tonight I let him out of the cage and shut the room door so he could fly in here. Oops there's the clear glass window! Good thing we noticed and stood by the window to make sure he didn't crash. He did hit, but not head on since we were there to guide him off track.

Do you think that those non-adhesive stick on window decals would work to show him there's a window there? Or would he still try to fly head on into the open places in the window where there are no decals?

There is also another (actually 2 other) dangers in the room. POICEPHALUS PARROTS!! Poi's HATE other birds (newcomers). Even little 5 month old Griffin JUMPED and launched himself toward Twigs with open beak ready to kill when Twigs landed on his cage! I guess when Twigs is out, the Poi's have to be locked up and I have to watch like a hawk and be ready to grab Twigs away in an instant if he lands on their cages. He flies very fast. I just want to cheer Twigs up by having him with us near the other birds after losing his buddy. Raven the Pionus doesn't mind him

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witchbaby · Aug 6, 2014

I think the decals are a good idea. My avian vet recommends doing this and keeps a stack of decals available at the front counter. You can also try putting up curtains and/or not cleaning the window. lol

Edited to add: You should also introduce him to the window. Stand on the other side and knock while someone holds him up close to the glass. Birds are smart enough to avoid windows and mirrors once they are used to them.

RavensGryf · Aug 6, 2014

witchbaby said:
I think the decals are a good idea. You can also try putting up curtains and/or not cleaning the window. lol

Trust me, there are some dirt marks on the window! On the outside LOL. I bought a new pull down shade to install whenever I get around to it, so I really don't want curtains.

I also think the decals would be good, but I'm afraid if there aren't just a ton of them, it might not work? Maybe I'm underestimating Twigs. He's probably not THAT stupid lol!

Kiwibird · Aug 6, 2014

My mother in law puts old CDs in the window to scare off the wild birds that crash into them...

witchbaby · Aug 7, 2014

RavensGryf said:
I also think the decals would be good, but I'm afraid if there aren't just a ton of them, it might not work? Maybe I'm underestimating Twigs. He's probably not THAT stupid lol!

lol I think he'll be fine once he's shown there is something physically there. If you put up one or two stickers or even write something on the windows (that you can easily wash off lol), he's smart enough to figure out he won't be able to fly through any of it.

MrsKay · Aug 9, 2014

Have you considered putting Raven in the other room with him?
You could use decals and tape several extra pieces of aluminum foil to the window until he learns the ropes

Anansi · Aug 9, 2014

Witchbaby is very much on point with her suggestion to introduce Twigs to the windows. That's exactly what I did with Bixby. Repeatedly over several days, just to be sure. I brought him right up to the glass and had him tap it with his beak. (Wasn't hard, since he's target-trained.)

But keep in mind, Julie, that while doing that and adding decals will decrease the risk, they won't eliminate it. In a blind panic, Twigs may very well still fly into the window.

Your very best bet is to put up those blinds. Everything else can be backup in case you forget to lower the shades one day.

RavensGryf · Aug 9, 2014

MrsKay said:
Have you considered putting Raven in the other room with him?
You could use decals and tape several extra pieces of aluminum foil to the window until he learns the ropes

Unfortunately, there is no room to put birds anywhere else in this house. As long as my dad is here and not in a senior living situation just yet, it is tight for all of us. We just take it a day at a time these days

Update: Budgie Twigs learned in just a couple times out flying to avoid the window and Robin's cage! He's smart

. Now he has to learn to avoid Griffin's cage. Griffin is even more determined to kill Twigs!

For now, I let Twigs out to fly before I let the Poi's out of their cages, and I really stand by and watch. I feel bad putting Twigs away, but I take him out twice a day, and longer at night. He's really a hyper guy (even for a budgie), and getting his morning fly really helps get his energy out and quiets him down.

getwozzy · Aug 9, 2014

I would put up some sheer curtains or blinds so you still get light in, but it would act as a buffer if Twigs flew towards the window.

For the curtains, you can even weight down the bottoms either with tablecloth weights or sew in some DIY weights such as coins in the bottom hem...that will help the curtain produce a sort of catching/trampoline movement if he were to fly into it. I hope that makes sense lol! 😬

veimar · Aug 10, 2014

I'm not an expert, but my flighted parrots NEVER fly into any windows in the space they know (and there are quite a few, including a huge one in the living room). He will learn very soon that there is a window there and won't crash into it (hopefully). What about some light transparent curtain? I have light curtains on the other rooms windows in case they birds fly there accidentally.

JerseyWendy · Aug 10, 2014

Some outstanding advice here.

My Niko went head first into the big front window several months ago, scaring the living daylights out of me. He 'was' fully flighted up until that point, and he'd been shown this window from the time that he was a baby. He had never flown into it before. Well, that day he got majorly spooked when a hawk grabbed a dove from my yard (both macs were on their java trees in the kitchen, looking into my back yard).

Both macs let out screams, Ripley flew onto the kitchen counter, but Niko completely lost his mind and took off like a rabid animal, flying aimlessly and super quickly....and BANG.

Now said window has fairly thick (3") cellular shades, but that dreadful day I forgot to lower them before letting the big macs out and about. I'm sure Niko's crash would have been buffered fairly well had he flown into said shade. Lesson learned the hard way - luckily Niko is fine, but it could have very easily have had a much worse ending.

Anansi · Aug 10, 2014

JerseyWendy said:
Some outstanding advice here.

My Niko went head first into the big front window several months ago, scaring the living daylights out of me. He 'was' fully flighted up until that point, and he'd been shown this window from the time that he was a baby. He had never flown into it before. Well, that day he got majorly spooked when a hawk grabbed a dove from my yard (both macs were on their java trees in the kitchen, looking into my back yard).

Both macs let out screams, Ripley flew onto the kitchen counter, but Niko completely lost his mind and took off like a rabid animal, flying aimlessly and super quickly....and BANG.

Now said window has fairly thick (3") cellular shades, but that dreadful day I forgot to lower them before letting the big macs out and about. I'm sure Niko's crash would have been buffered fairly well had he flown into said shade. Lesson learned the hard way - luckily Niko is fine, but it could have very easily have had a much worse ending.

Thanks for sharing that, Wendy! And I'm so glad that it turned out well for Niko!

This story illustrates what I posted earlier. A bird can be taught to recognize glass, and learn to avoid it same as any wall or door, but blind panic can often toss all of that out the window. And given that there are even humans who accidentally walk into glass doors if they're clean enough, better safe than sorry, no?

RavensGryf · Aug 10, 2014

Anansi said:
And given that there are even humans who accidentally walk into glass doors if they're clean enough, better safe than sorry, no?

HAHAHA!! Stephen! YOU weren't that human were you? :54: jk!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

In addition to a pull down sun shade, there are brackets above the window to hold a simple (non-decorative) curtain rod. Actually might not be too bad looking either!

Anansi · Aug 10, 2014

RavensGryf said:
Anansi said:

And given that there are even humans who accidentally walk into glass doors if they're clean enough, better safe than sorry, no?

Click to expand...

HAHAHA!! Stephen! YOU weren't that human were you? :54: jk!

Thanks for the advice everyone. In addition to a pull down sun shade, there are brackets above the window to hold a simple (non-decorative) curtain rod. Actually might not be too bad looking either!

Gasp! My secret revealed! Hahaha!

Glad to hear you're taking those steps, Julie. And as handy as you've been lately, installing that stuff should be a breeze!

RavensGryf · Aug 10, 2014

Anansi said:
And as handy as you've been lately, installing that stuff should be a breeze!

Well, now I'm afraid I've gotten lazy... Haha.

I also am really trying to avoid drilling anymore in here after the blinds. It's the older walls, with asbestos sheet rock and lead paint under the new paint :11: and you know how it's virtually impossible to not release a bit of it. Then with all that's been done so far, I suppose I shouldn't worry.

Anansi · Aug 10, 2014

Ah! I did forget about the asbestos and lead situation. But at least you have that existing hardware you were talking about. And Shirre's idea about the weighted curtains really was a good one.

getwozzy · Aug 10, 2014

I have a glass door story (it wasn't me!!! Lol)....when we were younger we had a sliding glass door that went to the deck from the kitchen, and my stepmom had JUST cleaned it. Here comes my brother RUNNING through the house with the intention of running through what he thought was an open glass door *snicker* BAM!!!! It knocked him on his butt HAHAHHAA

Julie- I would look into some tension rods, like shower curtain rods or they also have curtain ones too...that way you can hang your curtains without drilling!

Anansi · Aug 10, 2014

Lol! Your... brother, eh? Riiiiiiiiight. Of course. Never doubted it. [emoji6]

MrsKay · Aug 10, 2014

I agree with getwozzy, Just use a tension rod, no holes required, and hang a light sheer there

and.... ummmmmm..... I'm the other person who has walked into a glass door hehe. not funny.

RavensGryf · Aug 10, 2014

Yes! Those tension rods are a great idea! I might still have an old one around there, if not they're cheap and easy to get.

BUT... The only thing is... I HAVE TO install the pull down blinds because I can't return them now since I had Lowe's cut it to fit the odd size window, and it was expensive enough that I can't just not use it now.

I think for now I'll probably just watch him close when he's out, since I already have to watch him like a hawk anyway to keep him away from the 2 predatory Poicephalus parrots! He has learned that a window is there, and will avoid it, but I understand like Wendy said about if they get startled.

Or, I can lock the dog out and have him fly around the whole house for a little while. I'd have to supervise every second though, or he might get lost and not be able to find him if he doesn't chirp LOL.

Or, I can fly him in the spare bedroom on days Don isn't sleeping in there because of his schedule.

So there are some options I can think about ... Thanks so much for all the suggestions, I am still keeping it all in mind. I just want my little budgie boy to be happy just like the other parrots.

Window decals to avoid crashes?

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cage to small???????

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