User Comments/Photos
"I have had the Acopian BirdSavers up for several months now and they have brought fatal birdstrikes down from "two to three" a week to none! I've had one bird hit the window, but that was not fatal. At first, I was skeptical that these would work and was a bit concerned that they would alter not only how the window would look from the outside, but that they would obstruct or distract from the view of the garden from inside our house. These concerns proved to be unfounded and I now feel that the Acopian BirdSavers have actually “added” to the garden! They were easy to install, and do not interfere with window cleaning. They are easy to make on your own (which I have done), or even easier to order from Acopian BirdSavers (which I have also done) and I cannot recommend them enough! I know that if our feather friends could speak, they would agree!"
See more Photos here, and here.
Patrick Lovell
Nikko, Japan
"Hummingbirds were always flying into a big picture window at our mountain house. Since installing the BirdSavers we haven’t had any fly into the window"
See Photos here and here.
Diane B.
Mineral Bluff, GA
(BirdSavers in place for 7 months.)
"I'm a big fan. And a DIY Acopian BirdSavers homeowner. I had these stickers made for my front door to "explain" my Acopian BirdSavers, and thought you could include one in your customers' orders."
(Out of the blue, Evan sent a bunch of these stickers and also explained: "As a token of my appreciation for your idea and your site, your instruction and your obvious love for the non-human species, I want to send you a little something I made for you.")
BirdSavers DIYer
Evan Fry
Gold Hill, Colorado
(If anyone would like one of these stickers, send an email to Dizzybird@BirdSavers.com with your snail mail address and we will send you one.)
"I would like very much to receive a sticker "This home is for the birds" for my rented home here in Alaska. I've lived here five years and the BirdSavers I made from your directions 4-1/2 years ago have prevented countless strikes. I am so grateful to no longer have to pick up those broken little bodies. When I eventually move, I'm going to leave up my BirdSavers for the next tenant, explain to the landlord what they're for and hope for the best they'll keep them up. The paracord has shrunk a bit after four years of -40 to +80 degree temperature range but they still do the job. I personally find the quiet tic-tic sound they make in the wind soothing, like the wind in the trees. Spring is finally here in southcentral Alaska and my yard is filled with bird song. Thank you for sharing this brilliant solution."
BirdSavers DIYer
Terri Reynolds-Rogers
Palmer, AK
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 6 months.)
Outdoor Horse Riding Arena Mirror Wall with Acopian BirdSavers (200’ wide by 8’ tall)
"The mirrors in my riding ring were having bird strikes daily and we lost many, many birds last year, even though we tried to keep the mirrors covered when not in use. Since installing the Acopian BirdSavers, we have not had 1 strike! It’s amazing! They do not block my view and even on the windiest days, the cords do not frighten or distract my horse. I would encourage every equestrian with mirror walls to use these. They are easy and inexpensive to make and install!"
BirdSavers DIYer
Cindy Palmer Dean
Owner/Creative Director
Palmer's Market
Darien, CT
"Tough to see the paracord (which is good for us) in the photos, but I hope you get an idea of our install. We have nine 6-7’ glass panels in our backyard and after the panels, the ground slopes off pretty steeply. We installed on the pool side and luckily it has worked for the downslope side as well; no strikes in either direction since last summer! Didn’t follow your directions to a tee, but it doesn’t seem to negatively impact the purpose. We didn’t soak the paracord ahead of time and tried instead to cut the cord a little longer to compensate for shrinkage, but with the San Diego heat and sun, we saw quite a bit of shrinkage. However, the spacing between strands and beneath strands seems to be sufficient. It’s all good. I am thrilled that we didn’t go the UV decal route and that we no longer have birds dying before our eyes. My son and I went through that torture once. We have wildlife rescue nearby, but didn’t make it there in time. It was just a fun project to complete with my son as well! Thank you again for all your help."
See Photos here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
(BirdSavers on glass fence)
Ingrid Campbell
San Diego, CA
"I am a biologist and bird lover. I have a few windows in my home that get strikes and have tried various solutions over the years, most of which are ugly and ineffective. I am amazed that since installing Acopian BirdSavers on the problematic windows (2 years now?) there has not been a single strike! And they are completely unobtrusive. I don’t even notice them most of the time and when I do they look rather zen."
Brenda Larison
Los Angeles, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 7 months.)
"Thank you for sharing your method! We had many little birds dying at our window walls but not anymore!
In last 3 weeks not one bird ended its life at our entrance glass wall."
See Photos here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Natalie and John Vax
Prague, Czech Republic
"I bought a lakeside home to be at one with nature. When it got to the point that my dog recognized the thud of bird collisions and went running to look for victims, I began to research preventive options. Important considerations were cost, efficiency and appearance. I am happy to say that in the years we’ve had them, we’ve had no fatalities and very few gentle brushes, mostly when we’ve moved the patio door screen. They are unobtrusive, and when people get close enough to see and ask about them, I know I have created other believers. They do create a gentle tapping on the glass in a breeze, but unless you are hypersensitive to noise, it is a small price to pay for the lives of our feathered friends, from goldfinches to Pileated woodpeckers."
Dotti Cobb
Webster, WI
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years.)
"Greetings from Scotland! We live out in the country and every spring our conservatory averages two or three bird strikes per week. In the past we’ve stuck up hundreds of neon Post It notes with limited success. My wife found your website and I managed to make up a set. Thanks for your very clear instructions."
BirdSavers DIYer
Lindsay & Lesley Young
Strachan, Scotland
"We were sitting in our sunroom one morning when a bird crashed into our sunroom window. Later in the day it happened again. Over the years we have found wounded or dead birds near the sunroom. I decided to research how to prevent these terrible accidents. After looking at various possible solutions, we decided to try the birdsavers. Since the installation, we have not noticed another collision. I have seen birds flying toward the windows and then veering away when they see the paracord hanging on the outside of the window. We have two feeders located about 30 feet from the house and enjoy watching the birds. I am very satisfied with the product. I wish that building codes required such screens to help save birds."
See Photo here.
Karen & Manuel Z
Charlotte, NC
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"Acopian BirdSavers have saved countless birds from striking my windows. The BirdSavers are installed on two windows, which were getting the predominance of bird strikes. They are in the living room, and positioned so that there is a visual "pass through"--it can look to a bird that there is a passageway from one side of the house, to the other side. The photos show both outside and inside views of these two windows. I am in one photo. I am also including in this email some photos of the house that don't show the windows particularly, but give you a better sense of locale. When we first moved to this house, which is the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, I was appalled at how often birds were striking the windows and dying. I am a serious birder and photographer of birds so they are very important to me. Southeast Arizona is rich in bird life and so many beautiful raptors, warblers, doves and quail were hitting the windows, but in particular two windows got the majority of the strikes because of how they are positioned. I researched options and found Acopian BirdSavers online. I ordered two and installed them. Immediately, the strikes diminished significantly, and in effect, stopped. No birds strike the windows with the BirdSavers. Rarely, one will strike an adjacent window where I have not installed them. I am so pleased with them. They are visually appealing and unobtrusive to the beautiful views we are fortunate to have. It can be challenge to get the velcro to hold in our very hot summers, but I simply reapply the velcro from time to time and that works. Thank you for creating these terrific products which really do save the lives of birds!"
See Photos here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Lois Manowitz
Tucson, Arizona
(BirdSavers in place for 7 years, 1 month.)
"I just want to thank you for posting directions for making BirdSavers. When I moved into this house on a hill I didn’t understand the weird ghost prints of birds on most of the windows - until a dove died slamming full speed into one. There were a few random stencils of birds on the windows, which obviously weren’t effective. I looked for better solutions and eventually found Acopian BirdSavers.
I made mine using 1/2” PVC pipes and caps, paracord, and half-round brackets for electrical conduits. I did fourteen windows ranging from floor-to-ceiling sliders to little bathroom windows.
I’ve kept my BirdSavers up for two years, and I haven’t had a single bird strike! Not one. I’ve watched a couple of birds comically wheel away at the last minute as they got close, but no strikes. The cords are holding up fine - I expect them to fade in the brutal Arizona sun but so far so good. I like the sway of the cords in a breeze, and I’ve found it easy to adjust to having lines in the windows - I don’t even see them anymore, I’m always surprised when I take a picture through the window and there’s a cord in the pic.
I did the whole project myself, except for help hanging the pipes over the bigger windows. The cost was very reasonable and I think the hardest part of the whole project was the math: figuring out how many PVC pipes to buy based on the different lengths I needed, and roughly how much cord to get. First I bought a small amount of each to try it out on a couple of windows before committing to the whole house. Measure twice, cut once! Thanks again, I am thrilled to keep my feathered buddies safe."
See Photo here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Sue B.
Tucson, Arizona
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years)
"I've covered almost every window in my house with the DIY paracord strips (very easy to do) to save everything from sparrows and robins to downy and pilated woodpeckers. Other strategies, such as painting raptor silhouettes on the windows, were ineffective. I haven't had any birdstrikes since putting up the "birdsavers"--and they look great!
I used 1,000 feet of cord in total with doing just the problem/accessible windows in my small house, with the total cost being only about $150 CDN. I thought this was a bargain, especially if it means I won't have the horror of watching/hearing birds hit the windows.
I live in a tiny hamlet called Water Valley in Alberta, and my property is all treed, hence the abundant bird populations! Thanks so much for your website on behalf of the birds like Woody (I don't think you can tell from this photo, but pileated woodpeckers are massive!)."
See Photos here and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Janine Falck
Water Valley, Alberta
Canada
"I had Acopian BirdSavers installed on my 9 1/2 ft. high x 6 ft. wide kitchen window last year and on a regular size side window. These windows had been targets for the dreaded “thud” sound for a long time! I used stickers and they did nothing. So when I heard about the Acopian BirdSavers I was excited! We had them installed by a handyman because we didn’t want to climb a 12 foot ladder. His charge was very reasonable and he did a super job. I have to say since they went up I haven’t had a bird injured from a bird strike!!! Yay! I’m writing this in late May and there are a lot of fledgling Downy woodpeckers at my feeders. They have had a couple of what I call “brush-ups” with these windows. It’s like they realize there is a window there at the last minute and avoid hitting with full force! All last summer, fall and winter however there was not a single strike! AND, I love sitting at my kitchen table and watching them sway in the wind! I can tell how windy it is out there! You may have noticed all the exclamation points I am using - I’m really enthusiastic about these BirdSavers! I have recommended them to many people and will continue to do so. Thank you for your product! I know it has saved many birds!!!!!"
See Photos here, here, here, and here.
Nancy Archer
Henrico, VA
(BirdSavers in place for 9 months.)
"The BirdSavers are on every window of our passive solar house, all 17 of them. BirdSavers are truly just that -- they save birds! We had multiple fatal strikes every year until we installed these marvelous cords. Swallows, starlings, kingbirds, sparrows, finches, even a pheasant. We were heart broken with every one and tried everything we could find: decals, CDs hung on fishing line, mylar streamers. Nothing worked. But BirdSavers do! We have had them for over 4 years now and have had no bird strikes! We couldn't be more pleased with the way they work, the way they look, the easy installation and everything about them. BirdSavers are miraculous -- they do what they promise and do it simply and easily. We encourage everyone to "stop the thuds" and install Acopian Birdsavers. The birds will thank you! If there's anything else we can help with, please let us know. I believe in every word I wrote and we will always be grateful to Acopian BirdSavers. Thanks, Jeff!"
See Photo here.
Lynn Walker
Ritzville, WA
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 2 months.)
"We really like your bird savers. We bought a historic home two years ago and many of the windows have muntins, but the two back doors off our kitchen have very large windows. We had two birds kill themselves in the first year - one a robin and the second a northern mockingbird. We really enjoy the bird life on our property and have placed several houses and feeders throughout to attract them, so the fact that our windows were killing them was quite heartbreaking. I researched birdsavers and considered making them myself, but the Acopian ones were ready made, properly sized, and relatively inexpensive, so I opted to have them shipped right away. They were very simple to install and do not detract from the historic look of the home. They're quite effective, as no birds have struck our windows since, despite a noticeable increase in population over the last year. Our kitchen doors are probably the most trafficked by guests and neighbors who stop by, and many commented on them, asking if they had helped (and several asking for where I ordered them). Thanks Jeff for keeping the birdos alive!"
Loren Hudziak
Leesburg, VA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year.)
"This is what I made. It will be useful. Thanks for the idea! Ciao"
BirdSavers DIYer
Cinzia Porrazzini
Albiate (MB) near Milan, Italy
"I am writing on behalf of Jeff Acopian and all the birds that were saved by his invention and discovery. Acopian BirdSavers really work! Two years ago I built a two story Greenhouse with 22 large windows collected over a year from Craig’sList. After I had started to install the second level of windows on the front of the greenhouse I stopped for lunch and when I returned to the yard I found two small birds lying on the ground dead in front of the greenhouse. It took me a minute to figure out that they had flown into the crystal clean windows I had just put up. I felt terrible and realized there was no way I could complete my project if I would be picking up dead birds every day or two. So I immediately put a tarp over the front of the greenhouse to prevent any more fatalities. Since I also had many bird feeders in the yard. I decided to search the internet to see if there were any solutions available out there. I came across a few ideas but this one seemed to be the least expensive for such a large area and was said to be 95% effective. Sounded good to me. So I read his instructions and ordered 1000ft of paracord online and got the eye hooks from Home Depot. The total price was about $150 plus 5 hrs extra work, but I felt it was a good trade for all the birds that would survive all the years that the greenhouse would be up. I also installed them on the side & rear windows. And to my surprise I have never had another fatality in the last 3 years. So in my case it has been 100% effective in saving the lives of our feather friends."
See Photos here, here, here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Ralph Sanchez
Anchorage, Alaska
"After moving to our home on the lake we became avid bird watchers maintaining multiple feeders year round. When we built our home, we included a number of large picture windows to give us an unrestricted view of the lake and wooded area. Each year the number of bird strikes increased as more birds visited our feeders (from hummingbirds up to morning doves). We would hear the dreaded thunk and knew the odds of what we would find on the deck. We tried using the window decals, but had minimal success. As you’ll see in the pictures, the windows are highly reflective and I’m sure from a bird’s perspective they are flying towards the trees. Since ordering and installing the BirdSavers product we have reduced our bird strikes to virtually none. I have seen birds flying towards a window change direction before hitting the window. As I noted, we were very sensitive to an unrestricted view of the lake. Honestly, the size and color of the material used makes it easy to look past them and they blend in with the wooded area behind our home. I do not find them to be unattractive or a distraction when viewing them from outside either. The product has really worked past my expectations. I’ve only had one bird really take an interest: female cardinal this year would land on a strand and she appeared to be trying to pull on it. Maybe she thought it was a twig she could use for nest building."
See Photos here, here, and here.
Patti & Mike Powell
Southern Illinois
(BirdSavers in place for 4 months.)
"Love the Bird Savers!
We are forever grateful for this solution!
We purchased a home on a ridge with expansive views and, therefore, large windows through which to enjoy those views. We also developed quite a relationship with the California Quail that liked to hang out in our yard. The downside is that we also have quite a number of hawks that fly down to flush the quail, resulting in window strikes that were way too frequent for our taste. We tried decals, but they just didn't work and were unsightly as well. Acopian BirdSavers to the rescue! I was trying to figure out how to fit them to our arched windows, so I purchased some black plastic pipe strapping (our window frames are black), created an arch template out of cardboard, and determined how far apart I would have to drill holes in the pipe strapping to achieve the desired 4" separation. I then threaded the paracord into the holes in the strapping and stuck the whole assembly to the window frame using an outdoor mounting tape. Turned out perfectly! Thanks for allowing us to keep our great views without injuring our bird friends!"
See Photos here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Jeff Pedigo
Atascadero, CA
"You invited us on your website to send photos, so here are mine. You can see what tiny little houses we have in the UK!
I'm very glad I constructed these, inspired by information from your website. They look pretty good, as you know. We quickly became accustomed to seeing through them to the garden outside. We do find the parallel lines quite elegant. The BirdSavers have saved birds.
My cords are all free hanging, ie not attached at the bottom, so they swing in the wind. Greater than usual wind does cause cords to tangle with each other, and two or three often end up draped over the clematis at one side of the patio door. But when this happens I simply restore them to their correct positions by hand. I've only had one bird collision (a pigeon) since installation, and this occurred when three or four cords were wind-tangled and draped over the nearby plant, exposing a wide area of glass. So I do need to keep an eye on the cords."
See Photos here and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Peter Brockwell
Milton Keynes in the UK
"I have BirdSavers hanging on the 12 foot, floor to ceiling windows to our backyard and view beyond.
"When we moved two years ago from Florida to our Desert Mountain home in Scottsdale AZ, our bliss was short lived. We had not even unpacked when we heard the first thud we would soon recognize as a bird fatally hitting the window in our great room. We were horrified by what was to be a daily occurrence for these lovely desert birds. We are animal lovers and needed to do something to help the birds. We didn't know if it was the placement of our home or the season, but thought that others living in our new community surely spoke to this situation, yet we found no mention of it in our online club newsletters. I researched and found Acopian BirdSavers and thought it was worth the chance of even reducing bird deaths. I measured and ordered, my package of neatly bundled and labeled cords arrived within days. We had a handyman put them up, as our windows soar to 12 feet and at our age do not belong on that high a ladder, but it was a simple peel and press of aluminum Velcro tabs after an alcohol wipe of the placement spot. After two years, the tabs remain secure. The crazy part is that we have not had a single bird die by crashing into our windows - we have zero bird deaths. We have had a few soft thuds, but they were careless misses, where a bird hit a glancing blow but lived to fly another day. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are to have discovered this simple and inexpensive solution. We love our home and don’t even see the BirdSavers cords when we look at our gorgeous views. The eye focuses through the thin dark green cords and on our view of Apache Peak. Our guests are sometimes curious, but guess some sort of artsy zen curtain that gently flows in the ever-present breeze. The birds hitting our windows hurt our hearts, so we are very happy to have discovered Acopian BirdSavers and wish we could shout it out to the world."
See Photos here and here.
Susan Maria & Ty Leach
Desert Mountain Club
Scottsdale AZ
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"I live in Virgin, Utah, a rural town close to Zion National Park. Before the BirdSavers I tried multiple decals to no avail. It would break my heart to see those beautiful creatures, tricked by the reflection in the window and thinking they were flying into open space. Since the BirdSavers were installed, I haven’t seen or heard any bird strikes. Not just fewer, but none at all. I have many nests around my home and it means a lot to feel like the birds sense a safe environment."
See photo here.
Nanette Wood
Virgin, Utah
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 7 months.)
"Am thrilled with my Zen Wind Curtains. (Neat name) I’ve had very few fatalities in all the years they have been up on my large windows. I do and always did hate the “Dreaded Thuds”!! People think it’s a neat idea - especially since they work so well. Thank you from the birds and me! Zen Wind Curtains are really GREAT!"
See Photos here, here, and, here.
Tressa Glassman
Rolling Meadows, IL
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 8 months.)
"Before BirdSavers, we had quite a few bird deaths - especially in Spring. Now we have none! So far, the top triangles are fine but I will install more BirdSavers on our sitting room windows as we very occasionally have injuries on those. I am SO grateful for your clever design!!"
See Photos here, here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Lucy J.
Somerset, UK
"When I moved to the property 4 years ago I installed 2 fountains and bird feeders. More and more birds were attracted to the area and with that I would have a bird hit the window at least once per day. They did not die, but still hit themselves and I did also have a few deaths. I tried things on the windows like the glue on options, but I was not satisfied with the result. After installing the BirdSavers all window collisions have stopped totally! No more thuds, or deaths. I am so happy. I was concerned with the restriction of my views out of the windows, but I got used to the look very quickly and cannot say that it is creating any restrictions on my part! And it is so rewarding to finally have the birds be safe! I would love if commercial buildings were using this method as well. And it also seems that no tall windows on the house require them, my windows facing north have never had any collisions. Overall I am excited to now feed and water birds without the accidents!"
See Photo here.
Suzy Godsey
Cerrillos, NM
(BirdSavers in place for 4 months.)
"The BirdSavers have done exactly what I hoped and expected they would do. We have a very large window in the front of our house that attracted all different kinds of birds. We would hear that telling thump multiple times a day. Sometimes the birds were just stunned and were able to fly away. Othertimes, we would find deceased birds on our front patio. Since installing the BirdSavers on the window, I can probably count on one hand how many times I have heard that thump. We haven’t found any birds outside either. I think they are able to slow down as soon as they see the cords so that they aren’t actually injured if they do happen to hit the glass. I am very pleased with my purchase and I would definitely order one again. I don’t think the bird saver is very noticeable from the street. You can obviously see it when walking up close but I think it plays a valuable role and am willing to see the cords instead of injured birds."
Lori B.
Phoenix, AZ
(BirdSavers in place for 11 months.)
"We love our Acopian BirdSavers. We have them on the lower windows of our two story home (the upper windows are either covered by tree branches or sunscreens so the birds don’t tend to run into them). Prior to installing the BirdSavers we would have several birds per year hit our windows. After one traumatic experience with a dove that died, I got online to find a solution. Acopian BirdSavers are a cost-effective, durable, easy to install solution that really work. We’ve only had one bird hit a window since we installed them in August of 2017, and fortunately that one was fine and flew away. Birds are very important to me because I’ve always felt connected to them. We put out water and food for birds so it’s crucial that our yard be a safe environment for them. In the three years they’ve been installed we’ve only had a few people ask about them and that’s been from inside the home. I think they’re very unobtrusive. I give them the highest recommendation - if you love birds, they’re a must have. Thank you for making such a wonderful product."
See Photos here, here, and here.
Dawn Walker
Tucson, Arizona
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 10 months.)
"We purchased and installed our Acopian BirdSavers at our home on our sunroom's sliding glass doors. We are absolutely delighted with how well they work at preventing deadly bird strikes. We have many bird feeders and feed all year round. Prior to installing the Acopian BirdSavers, we were averaging about one strike a week which resulted in about a dead bird once a month. We had been using decals all over the outside of the windows to try to prevent the strikes with marginal success. Since installing the Acopian BirdSavers, we have had very few strikes and not one dead bird!!! I also feel like I got my windows back as we no longer have decals blocking our view. I have recommended the Acopians to several of my bird feeding friends who were having problems with bird strikes on their windows."
See Photos here, here, here, here, and here.
Barbara Murphy
Penn State Master Gardener
Allison Park, PA (suburb of Pittsburgh)
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 1 month.)
"We installed Acopian BirdSavers on our home in Mountain Center, California soon after we purchased it about 6 years ago. We were getting repeated bird strikes, some times as many as 2 or 3 per day, and we felt terrible, knowing that wild birds could not tell that they were flying into glass rather than open space. We care about our local wildlife and do everything we can on our property to allow native plants and animals to thrive. Your process for measuring and ordering the BirdSavers was effortless and the installation went quickly. We have not had a single bird strike since we put up the BirdSavers. We actually feel they enhance the look of our home and they work extremely well. We thank you for finding such a novel and effective solution to a problem many people experience. Your product has saved countless bird lives!"
See Photos here, here, and, here.
Tom & Melanie Bellamore
Mountain Center, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 10 months.)
"My windows reflect the trees behind my deck, and I had pretty frequent bird collisions. Other preventive measures, like reflective decals, made no difference. The Acopian BirdSavers have done the trick. Incidentally, I got them on the recommendation of Lansing's Fenner Nature Conservancy, which is installing them on the windows of their new education pavilion."
Barb OK
Okemos, Michigan
(BirdSavers in place for 11 months.)
BirdSavers DIYer:
"We installed "Zen Wind Curtains" on large window areas at the UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center a few years ago. They were put up by a local Boy Scout, as part of his Eagle Project. We formerly had a fair number of bird collisions at those windows. Not one since." -- Rick Simek
"We actually had a Boy Scout Eagle Project install BirdSavers outside our exhibition space and wildlife observation room a couple of years ago and they work wonderfully. We have been very satisfied with the results, and the anti-collision technique has been incorporated as a component of our Birds:Identification, Migration and Conservation Program for K-12 students. Keep up the good work! Here is a link to a small description of the project at the Center:
https://umdearborn.edu/casl/centers-institutes/environmental-interpretive-center/get-involved/volunteer
Volunteer Andrew Bleau and his anti-collision bird saving project at the Center: When Andrew Bleau learned that bird strikes on windows were common at the Environmental Interpretive Center, he decided to take action. For his Eagle Scout Service Project (Troop #1111), Andrew researched, designed, built and installed a bird anti-collision system using Acopian BirdSavers outside the wildlife observation room and exhibition space at the Center. These hanging cords spaced at regular intervals on the exterior of windows, break up the reflection that birds see, thereby preventing them from flying into the windows by accident. Ever since their installation, bird collisions on windows at the Center have been reduced dramatically, and they have Andrew to thank for that!" -- Dr. David Susko
See Photos here, here, and here.
Rick Simek, Program Supervisor
UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center
Dr. David Susko, Director
Environmental Interpretive CenterAssociate Professor
Department of Natural Sciences Chair
Earth and the Environment Discipline
University of Michigan-Dearborn, MI
"We had numerous hummingbirds crashing into our glass slider that opens on our back yard in Ventura, CA. After we put up emergency sticky notes, learned about Acopian BirdSavers. They have completely stopped the collisions and they are pleasing to look through and the motion in the wind is also nice. I have another installation which has successfully eliminated distressing collisions of wintering Hermit Thrushes from a glass sliding door in the Sierra foothills. These are the most effective, attractive, and sustainable way to save birds from windows. Keep up the good work Jeff!"
Paul Pyle
Ventura, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"Just wanted to say the birdsavers work like a charm. Before, we had 1-3 bird hits per day on our patio door, sometimes fatal. Since installing birdsavers a week ago NOT ONE. Thanks."
Stephen Tull
Crofton, MD
(BirdSavers in place for 1 week.)
"We decided to install the BirdSavers after finding the body of a Downy Woodpecker outside our living room picture window. We are very happy with them. We enjoy watching birds in the woods behind our house without fearing we will hear a loud bump when one of them flies into the glass. The BirdSavers do not obscure our view at all. And we love it when small birds sometimes cling momentarily to the cords!"
See Photo here.
Mary S.
Bethesda, MD
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 11 months.)
"Incredible. That's all that I can say about the Acopian BirdSavers/Zen Wind Curtain. To be honest, I was skeptical, but I figured that for the nominal cost involved, I could build out one for my small window and see for myself how it works. It was heartbreaking to hear the "Thud" and/or find one of my little bird buddies dead due to a strike. We feed our friends, but unfortunately had to move the feeder in closer to our kitchen window, a big no-no for feeders but our only choice if we were going to be able to watch the activity. To compound issues, across from the window is a large camelia bush, which the birds use as a launching point to approach the feeder. As you might guess, the bush also reflects in the south facing window and no doubt, appears like another bush to fly to in the reflection. We were setting our bird buddies up for failure, and I was becoming resolved to the fact that we just couldn't enjoy the feeder every day as we looked out onto the garden. I've tried many other deterrents, and to be honest nothing worked well or severely obstructed our view. I discovered Acopian Bird Savers on the American Bird Conservancy website, and after reading the DIY on your website I decided to give it a try. I was pretty desperate for something, anything, to work without giving up. By the way, your detailed instructions and pictures, with helpful tips, were so well done that I feel just about anyone could follow along. That said, I was still skeptical, and perhaps even more so after I put one together for our window. How could these little strings possibly keep birds from flying into a window? Especially the small birds so prevalent around our feeder? Well, color me wrong! In the 2 months that we've had the Bird Saver up, we haven't heard a single bird strike nor found a dead bird on the ground. Not only that, but the Bird Saver doesn't obstruct our view, to the point it has almost become invisible on a window that has a very close perspective. Woo-Hoo! It looks like problem solved, and who would've guessed it, so simple. We can't thank you enough, and tell everyone how effective this is. Though you manufacture custom Bird Savers, and we would recommend those for our friends or the less handy, we appreciate the public service of providing instructions and details for the sake of birds. Kind of rare in today's world. Thank you again from our bird buddies out here in California. The L-Channel that you recommend is a very hard item to find. I like it because it offers a very clean application (and maybe necessary for a long window run), but using a cord cross piece works just fine. I also used the 3-M Command hooks for string lighting (small and unobtrusive) so that I could remove them from my vinyl window frames without damage. So far so good, without any failure. My window is somewhat small, approximately 36" across, so I'm not sure how these might work on a wider window, although you could use several to support the weight."
See photo here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Marcus & Ginny Zalky
San Diego, CA
"I’m so pleased with how these turned out. My windows actually look better now and I’ve had no bird strikes since installing them. I cut them a little too short but they are still working fine. Thank you for providing the instructions for how to make them."
BirdSavers DIYer
Jane R.
Evans, GA
"My wife and I live in a subdivision with homes that have many large windows. We have a 2-story grouping of windows facing the rear of our property, and because we also have feeders to attract birds, we have had many fatal bird strikes over the years. The local hawks even learned to chase their prey towards our home where they hit the glass and end up as an easy meal on the patio. We tried many things to stop the birds from flying into our windows – stickers, curtains, sun catchers, etc. – but nothing worked. We even felt obliged to stop feeding the birds until I came across the Acopian BirdSavers website. When applied to our situation, this simple approach stopped the bird strikes immediately and completely. In previous winters we would have at least two or three hits a week while the European Starlings were migrating and big flocks were visiting our feeders. We haven’t had a single incident since January of 2018 when I put the Acopian BirdSavers on my windows. Not one! Although the Acopian BirdSavers website does include the option of purchasing ready-made BirdSavers, it appears that this option is only there as a last resort for folks who are not capable of do-it-yourself projects. Most of the site explains the science behind this simple solution, shows examples of how it can be applied to situations from small to large, and even offers plans and instructions to build your own BirdSaver. I took this free information, adapted to my application, and built my own solution. In our case it was necessary to create something more substantial than most of the examples on the website, but the basic underlying concepts are sound and backed by research. As you can see in the attached photos, I made brackets out of cedar and stained them to match the rest of our exterior trim. I cut a 15-degree angle into them to allow rain to run off, and attached them to the house with brass screws. Because we needed cords that are 18 feet long, matching bottom brackets were required to stop tangling in strong winds. After they were up for a few days we no longer noticed them, and they sway in the breeze in a very natural way. Guests say the same – after initial curiosity, they disappear from perception and we all just watch the beautiful birds. It is important to note that like many other parts of our ecosystem, wild birds are under great threat from loss of habitat, pollution, and climate change. Birds also have to deal with issues somewhat unique to them, including light pollution and flying hazards. A study published in the 2019 issue of the journal Science reveals that since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 29 percent, or almost 3 billion birds, signaling a widespread ecological crisis. The results show tremendous losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats - from iconic songsters such as meadowlarks to long-distance migrants such as swallows and backyard birds including sparrows. It has also been estimated that between 365 and 988 million birds die each year from crashing into windows in the United States alone. An individual homeowner may not be able to save the world, but I feel strongly that it is our responsibility to do what we can. Perhaps together we can have a real impact. Sharing information on simple solutions will help others do their part. The Acopian BirdSaver is one such simple, open-source solution to a known problem."
BirdSavers DIYer
Paul Knapp
Dublin, OH
"Being an avid backyard bird watcher, over the years I have sadly heard the sickening sound of a bird hitting my window(s) way too often. Finding injured or even deceased songbirds near your windows is heart breaking. I have tried the famous "bird deterring" window decals, some of which are very costly, as well as other online suggestions, but they've all proven useless. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first learned of BirdSavers, but this was only because I've had negative experiences with other bird deterring products. I am SO relieved that I found BirdSavers- they WORK!! I did not purchase mine from birdsavers.com; rather, I followed the detailed instructions on their website as to how to make your own. I've attached photos of how they turned out - just lovely, and completely solved my dilemma! The fact that Mr. Acopian has published these instructions on his website (where he also sells his product) tells us something about him. He is genuinely concerned about the increasing number of birds who meet their fate by hitting windows, whether of a residence or a commercial building. That's impressive."
See Photos here, here, and here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Krista Hefner
Perry, Northeast Ohio
"I love the mourning doves in my backyard, but was having trouble with them flying into my window. I could actually see the imprint of their poor bodies on the glass. After discovering the third dead dove, I ordered an Acopian BirdSaver. It’s been more than a year now and it really works! No more crashes and the BirdSaver doesn’t interfere with the light coming in my window.
Claire S.
Berkeley, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 4 months.)
"I am delighted to offer a testimonial because over the years, I’ve considered sending it to you unsolicited. I really want to get the word out about his product! As soon as we bought this house with its large windows, I knew I could never relax in my living room, as I anticipated another “thud” against the glass. I am extremely happy with the results! In the almost six years since we installed the BirdSavers, we have not had one bird strike, even in the spring when the barn swallows (with a nest under a soffit) dart and dash very near the windows. I also wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper explaining that this product works. Some people comment that the cords, when swinging in the breeze, are somewhat zen-like and relaxing. I’m really impressed with your company, because in addition to selling the pre-made product, you also provide free instructions on how to make them yourselves. Thanks for the opportunity to sing your praises!"
Tracie H.
Parkdale, OR
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 5 months.)
"We installed a huge window in our master bedroom recently and we have had many birds fly into it since install. The birds do recover after a bit, but it is heartbreaking. Since we have installed the BirdSaver, we have had not one bird accident! I am so happy with the results. Especially after trying stickers and all sorts of unsightly products, this one looks great and saves lives too!"
Angela Turner
Charlotte, NC
(BirdSavers in place for 3 months.)
"Birds no longer thud into our large dining room window! We’re very happy that birds are no longer injured or killed. What do other people say about the BirdSavers? Everyone wonders what they are. I suggest sewing tiny fabric birds on the strings at various intervals. People will see the little birds and maybe get it!"
Alexandra M.
St Paul, MN
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 7 months.)
"Prior to installing the Acopian bird saver on the back door, I was receiving 10-20 strikes a season (mainly spring). The birds saw the reflection of my neighbor’s house in the window and flew straight into it without slowing down. After installing the bird saver, I have maybe one to two strikes a year. It has saved a lot of bird lives and mental anguish on my part. Thanks for such a simple and economical solution."
Barbara Piper
Snohomish, WA
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years.)
"The BirdSavers are on two 4’x5’ windows in great room and main house glass door entrance. There are over 1000 red oaks trees on the ranch surrounded by over a thousand acres of open land and by extension have thousands of birds locally. Bird strike thuds were on three specific windows when we built the house and on many occasions they wiped out entire families of 5-6 impacts at once (quails mostly and humming birds). It was not uncommon to have several strikes daily and each thud sounded like a softball being thrown and each deadly. I tried just about everything on the windows using various home made and bought reflectors to avoid strikes that helped somewhat, but did not mitigate completely. Skeptical, and after speaking with Mr. Acopian who put forth his applied concept I purchased and installed one on the big killer window... I couldn’t believe it worked. Thereafter, installed several more, and they all amazingly performed as explained."
See Photos here, here, and here.
Cid Cabriales, home/ranch owner
23 acres central coast California
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 10 months.)
"BirdSaver is installed outside a large picture window, our cottage is in the woods. The BirdSaver was easy to measure, order and install, it looks beautiful from the inside of the house, and we have not had any bird crashes since we installed it."
Karen Edgley
Omena, Michigan
(BirdSavers in place for 1 years, 10 months.)
"They are amazing. They hang on the outside of large sunroom windows. A bird feeder is about 25 feet away. Before I put them up I was going to take the feeder down as too many birds hit the sunroom windows. They were installed three years ago or so and not one bird has hit my windows. None. I am totally satisfied with the results. They resulted in NO Bird strikes for over three years. They also look good on the windows. We barely see them when we look out the windows in our sun room. I highly recommend this product to everyone who wants to prevent bird deaths from strikes."
Peggy Brennan
North Haven, CT
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years.)
"The back of our home faces a wooded and partially open marshy area, and quite a variety of songbirds and woodpeckers visit the feeders located off the deck outside our living room picture window. The occasional bird strikes were always very upsetting to us. We searched for a solution online, and finally found BirdSavers. We installed BirdSaver cords outside our picture window several years ago, and have not seen a bird strike since. The narrow windows and sliding glass door on the sunroom were also a concern, and we now have BirdSavers there, as well. We simply walk through the swaying cords hanging outside the sliding door. The cords are not distracting at all, especially in a natural-looking olive color. I actually like to see them swaying in the breeze! Thank you for this great solution to a very common problem, and for keeping things simple and affordable. What a wonderful idea! You’ve provided a very helpful and practical product, and as a bird lover, I am grateful."
Christine C.
Southern New Jersey
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 3 months.)
"We were excited to rent a condo facing some green space and watch the birds. But during the fall migration, two Cedar Waxwings hit the windows and we felt terrible. We immediately ordered the Acopian BirdSavers and have had no more collisions. Personally, I like the way they look. I can see the movement of wind without having the view obstructed. A big thank you to Jeff Acopian!"
A. Glass
Chattanooga, TN
(BirdSavers in place for 5 months.)
"We have several birdfeeders and a small pond for the birds to bath and drink from so we attract many birds! Birds collided into our windows at the back of our house even before we put up feeders. It was awful and we felt terrible. We tried the window stickers but they didn’t work great, they looked terrible and they had to be replaced. The Acopian BirdSavers have worked amazingly well. I really can’t believe it. They are simple to install and don’t look bad. You actually get used to the lines quickly since they are symmetrical and a neutral color. I can’t recommend BirdSavers enough! They are well worth the investment."
Diane Bounds
Illinois
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 8 months.)
"Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in! I am a long-time supporter of American Bird Conservancy. I bought the BirdSavers from you in my California home and made a similar design for my Colorado home. Before buying BirdSavers, I lost numerous birds to window strikes, especially goldfinches. Once installed, the number of birds dying decreased by 98%. It was stunning and continues to this day. They work! Stickers not so much. My Colorado home had over a dozen bird strikes per summer and they decreased to 1 or 2. There is a great deal of wind and weather and the laundry cord that I use up there moves with the wind. I recommend BirdSavers wholeheartedly."
Marnie Gaede, Associate Professor
La Canada, CA & Creede, CO
(BirdSavers in place for 7 years, 7 months.)
"I’d recommend! We’ve been happy with our BirdSaver. We have had it for about a year now and although there may be an occasional hit, I’d say the number is far fewer."
Leslie Korando
Carbondale, IL
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"Our Wind Curtains are installed on our windows between our living room and deck. We have four feeders and a heated bird bath on the deck which is about ten feet above our yard. I am an avid gardener and love having birds come to my feeder. We have had multiple incidents with birds hitting the windows, some fatal, and all upsetting. I have used several different types of window decals, none of which have worked. After the latest incident, I did more research looking for alternative products, and was surprised to learn about the grid that was necessary to break up the reflection that the birds saw in the windows. When I calculated the amount of decals I would need (hundreds), I didn’t like having my windows completely covered with decals, so I kept searching for other products. Finally, I discovered Acopian BirdSavers, and there have been no more incidents. In addition, I LOVE the way the curtains look on my windows. They do not block the view of my yard, create a lovely, gentle movement when there is a breeze, and dance like crazy when the Colorado winds speed up. I am thrilled with this product."
Susan Narduzzi
Eagle, Colorado
(BirdSavers in place for 7 months.)
"My deck is a high deck with a slider door overlooking heavy woods. I have many bird feeders hanging from my deck railing and get a wide variety of birds. Because the bird traffic is so high, flying into the window was a problem until I hung my BirdSaver. I've had no more "thuds" that I'm aware of and sometimes will have a little goldfinch hang on a string looking in. One of my favorite parts of having them. Goldfinch are the only birds I've ever seen do it but it happens just about every day! Also, they don’t obstruct the view from inside at all. Love them! Love my birds and the Zen Wind Curtain!"
Carol Jackson
Elkridge, MD
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 7 months.)
"Our BirdSavers are installed on our home, on a series of large windows which look out on our backyard. We always have several nests of birds brooding in this area, and in the past have had several bird strikes every nesting season with so much activity in the yard. Since we put up our Acopian BirdSavers a bit over a year ago we have had *NO* bird strikes. They were exceedingly simple to install, as well."
Clyde P.
Columbus, Indiana
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year)
"Only in our front portal windows (1 large stationary window and 2 small ones that each open out). We have no bird crashes into any other windows of our home. Before we installed these, we had a bird crash into the window about weekly . . . birds of all sizes. Since the installation we have had zero. I am so pleased this simple installment has protected the birds from their traumatic demise. In our home in Northern California we used tape to prevent bird collisions. I find these Zen Curtains much more pleasing to look through to the outside AND just as effective."
Cathie Haynes & Dwight Sims
Santa Fe, NM
Homeowners of built in 1950 Stamm home (pueblo style)
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 4 months.)
"We have a large (12' x 6') window that had multiple bird strikes before installing the BirdSaver. We tried stickers and they provided no reduction in bird strikes. I believe there were 3-4 strikes over the course of around 6-8 months both with and without stickers. After installing the Acopian BirdSavers in April 2019 we have had exactly one strike in the last year. Might send photos later but the product really does work or I wouldn't have responded to this email. Thank you for doing the work to find a solution."
David Morton
Sacramento, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"I'm happy to support you in your mission to save birds. Before we installed the Bird Savers, we had birds crash into our windows regularly. We're in the migratory path of birds and are lucky enough to have many visitors each Spring as well as some resident birds that are fun to watch. So, it's very upsetting when a bird crashes into our windows. I had tried decals and other tricks to keep the birds safe. We have windows that stretch the width of the waterfront side of the house; because of the sun and pool, the reflection in the windows is deadly for the birds. The last straw was an Indigo Bunting that crashed during migration; I knew I had to do something. The Bird Savers were easy to install and have worked perfectly. We installed your Bird Savers a couple of years ago and haven't had one bird crash since then. Thank you.The BirdSavers are on the picture windows we have which face the water."
Cheryl Henry
Galveston Bay in Texas
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 8 months.)
"Many years ago we replaced side by side double hung windows with a picture window. Before and after windows had interior grids and UV protection. After changing the windows we didn’t notice anything more than the occasional bird impact. Usually mourning doves that sit on the roof above this window. Rarely were they injured. We have a double pole, hanging tube feeder filled with sunflower, about 20’ from the window. In the Spring several years ago we started to have daily bird impacts and several deaths of one species of bird. I don’t remember which migratory bird was the issue. We covered the outside of the window with cardboard and started looking for a solution. We selected Acopian BirdSavers based on cost, quick delivery, ease of installation and expected effectiveness. It met all of our expectations and was immediately effective in eliminating bird impacts from that bird species. Other birds still occasionally hit the window but aren’t injured. We’ve gotten used to the strands of cord hanging outside the window and after several years it’s still in good condition."
Steve D.
Greenville, SC
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 7 months.)
"Before installing the Acopian BirdSaver cords birds were periodically slamming into the main window in our front room. Occasionally, I found a dead bird on the ground outside. Other times I never knew what happened to the birds. With every crash, I would find a tiny cluster of feathers where the bird's head had smashed into the window. Since I installed the cords in December 2018, we have had no instances of birds crashing into this window. We have neither heard a loud thump nor have I found any tiny clusters of feathers on the window. So far, they have been a complete success! From inside one morning last week, I saw a hairy woodpecker flying toward our window with the Birdsavers. At the very last instant before impact, the woodpecker pulled up when touching the cords and flew up the front of our house avoiding a crash into the window. I've never noticed that before. It was a concrete example of the effectiveness of your Birdsavers cords!"
David Alexander
Columbia, Maryland
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 5 months.)
"I've worked with birds for 13 years, so it's always been important to me to reduce my impact on them. I noticed one bird strike the large window shortly after moving into our new rental and made a point to find a temporary solution. I haven't had a single bird strike since, and that was over 5 years ago. I don't notice the strands as I observe the birds outside and no one ever asks about them, which I take to mean they aren't noticing them either."
Erin J.
Atlanta, GA
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years.)
"The windows in my office are floor to ceiling and cover two walls. Many, many birds were flying to their death on those windows. The BirdSavers tremendously stopped the number of birds flying to their death on my large office windows. Very few actually hit the windows now and when they do they don’t hit it nearly as hard and are able to fly away in every instance since putting up the BirdSavers. Love the BirdSavers - it’s saved many birds in the last year that I’ve had them."
Eleanor S.
Asheville, NC
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 3 months.)
"We tore out our rotted old deck two years ago, and built a sunroom which we now enjoy year-round. One of the priorities was to install our bird feeders close to the windows, so we could relax and watch the action from the comfort of the new room. We chose the Acopian BirdSavers after some online research, and we are very glad that we did! The cords don’t bother the birds at all, nor do they interfere with our viewing. We live near Windsor, Ontario so we get all sorts of birds migrating though our area. It is a real treat to be able to sit in our room and watch the feeders, without any fear of the birds hitting the windows. A wonderful invention, easy to install (took my husband and our 13 year-old son less than an hour to install) and we would definitely recommend these to anyone wanting to protect their feathered visitors."
Christina McKibbon
Tecumseh, Ontario Canada
(BirdSavers in place for 7 months.)
"BirdSavers are installed on the large front windows, and a few smaller windows of my house. The BirdSavers have been very helpful. Since putting them up I’ve had only one fatality (of a young woodpecker) that I know of. There have been a few hits but reduced in speed so the birds survived. Not only are these real bird savers but they are quite attractive and not even noticeable when looking out. I certainly do not want to be killing birds and these birdsavers are the best way to avoid birdstrikes that I have found. I’ve tried decals and plain old string which did not work nearly as well as the parachute cord on these. Some of my neighbors saw these and ordered them as well."
Elinor O.
Craftsbury, VT
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 8 months.)
"5 years back I was Conservation Chair for Central New Mexico Audubon Society, we began Bird/Window Collision work in Albuquerque. I put Acopian Birdsavers on my kitchen window. It is an awning window that opens out with a screen on the inside. This is a small condo owned by me in Albuquerque, NM, the kitchen looks out on a small city park..This is great because the city waters the grass and maintains the pine trees that gives birds come to my feeder a place to rest. I am sending you a not so good photo from inside the kitchen you will see the Oriole feeder with a female and one with a male Bullock's Oriole. The hummingbird feeder stays busy too. You will see that I have added chicken wire to the top of the wood fence to keep out free-ranging cats. The feeders are attached to the roof of a small wood shed. The BirdSavers are ideal for this window and have stopped the collision problem. Thanks for inventing these easy to install paracord Wind Curtains. CNMAS continues to give workshops about window collisions where we have taught others how to make these Zen Wind Curtains using the knot tying technique you have posted on your website."
Sara Jayne Cole,
New Mexico
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 4 months.)
"The BirdSavers are on 2 sets of French doors onto a deck. Before installing the Acopian BirdSavers, I would have 3 or 4 incidents of birds flying into the windows on my doors each year. In some cases the bird survived and in some cases it did not. I searched for ways to prevent these accidents and found Acopian through a Google search. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I can say that there have been no bird strikes in the 2 years since I installed the BirdSavers. In addition to their effectiveness, they are unobtrusive and, in fact, add an interesting enhancement to the plainness of the windows. I have recommended Acopian to a number of friends and on several bird-related Facebook groups."
David Linn
Ocean Shores, WA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 7 months.)
"I haven’t had any birds crash into the windows with the Bird Saver. But it’s mating season here in Alaska and they haven’t stopped the males from pecking at their reflection endlessly!! But they seem to know not to fly into the window."
Angela Liston
Eagle River, Alaska
(BirdSavers in place for 3 months.)
"The Birdsavers are on five large front windows of the house. We love birds and are actively trying to encourage wildlife in our yard, so it's quite upsetting when a bird hits the house. I was very happy to discover Birdsavers because other options I looked at are difficult to install, obscure the view, or are not attractive. We chose to buy them pre-made and they are a breeze to put up. We watch birds in our front yard all the time and don't find the Birdsavers to be a problem (binoculars focus past them). Normal window screens are much worse for viewing. Most importantly, they really work! I'm not aware of any strikes since installing Birdsavers, and I've actually seen birds head toward the windows and suddenly pull up and away. An ingenious idea."
Eric Wenocur & Kim Keller
Olney, MD (inner suburb of DC)
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"Eight years ago, and pre-retirement, my husband and I sold our home and purchased the home of our dreams mostly for the reason of it's magnificent windows and the feeling of being outdoors while indoors! After moving in, we discovered much wildlife in our back yard including deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, raccoons, turtles, and many different birds. We started to feed the birds only to find too many were flying into the windows. Had I not found the Acopian Bird Savers we would not still be enjoying our retired pastime of observing and appreciating the birds that come and go annually! At first my husband was reluctant to install them but even he agrees that they look great! And WORK GREAT! Rarely do we now have an injured or dead bird to take care of. Thank you for this product. I HIGHLY recommend it! I also want to note that in 5 years we have not had to reinstall or replace them. That's a very good product!"
Diane Gerber
Patchogue, NY
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 1 month.)
"We love California for the beautiful weather and wildlife. We’ve been lucky enough to have two homes with floor to ceiling windows that allow us to enjoy living close to nature. But we just can’t bear the sound and cleanup of birds hitting those windows. The point of the windows is to enjoy our wild neighbors, not kill them. We researched many different options for protecting birds from our glass: stickers, special glass, etc. Nothing was as unique and elegant as the BirdSavers. We have them on over 20 windows in our primary residence and in our rental home. One home is an Eichler and the other is a Frank Lloyd Wright style. Both look amazing with the bird savers installed. From inside, they aren’t noticeable. We can still enjoy the view and protect the birds at the same time!"
Mark McCracken
Los Altos Hills & San Jose, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year.)
"I am a bird lover and home owner near Mishicot, Wisconsin. I distinctly remember the day I decided to buy the Acopian BirdSavers. I had previously tried the adhesives on my windows but the birds were still hitting them. It's such a terrible sound! And then, one morning, a yellow-rumped warbler hit my picture window -hard! I ran outside and there he was, on the ground, still alive but suffering badly. I held him in my hands and cried until he died. Later that day, I placed my order. I have the BirdSavers on my picture window and my patio slider. I've had them on for two years now and have not had one bird strike since. I don't notice them at all anymore. I've had people ask about them, and they have also said the cords don't interfere with the window's aesthetics one bit. They are very easy to install and look as new as the day I installed them. I give them my highest recommendation!"
Leslie H.
Mishicot, Wisconsin
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"Since relocating to northern Michigan in 2015, we have counted over 30 species of birds visiting our feeders and have thousands of birds annually. Window hits and fatalities were frequent and we tried decals, tape and gels with little success. We were about to take down our feeders. Since we installed the ABS system in 2018 bird hits have been all but eliminated. In that period we have had less than 6 hits and only 1 fatality. We often see them veer away from what surely would have been a hit. Sometimes birds even land safely on the lines, as if they are trying to figure out what's up! Installation was easy with the pre-tied lines. We leave them up all winter without a problem. They have been a great comfort. There is nothing worse than feeling like one is harming the very creatures one is attempting to attract, and nothing better than seeing the results of an effective solution to the problem. As far as the aesthetics of the BirdSavers, we feel they actually add an interesting dimension to the look of the property, and do nothing to distract our enjoyment of the view of the river."
Scott D.
Northern Michigan
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 1 month.)
"I bought your Acopian BirdSavors product a couple of years or more ago -- No bird deaths since --Used to get about 3 bird deaths a year that I'm sure of, and many other birds hitting the window -- I have a large window exactly like the one shown in your video with the same cords you have displayed in your video -- I have a hanging bird feeder maybe 5 or 6 inches from that window which faces the north side of my house here in Ukiah Ca. -- I don't have a cell phone to send you a picture , but my window looks identical to the one in your short video ("How to Stop the Thuds") -- The cords do not really block my view of the yard and other bird feeders and bird baths I have out there -- Works great."
James Morgan
Ukiah, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 6 months.)
"About 2 yrs ago we moved to a rural location where the home had a lot of north facing windows and once the bird feeders and bird houses were put in on that side the bird strikes started, especially in the Spring. I did some Googling and found the Acopian BirdSavers website; after reading about them and understanding how they were made etc. plus the great reviews I went ahead and ordered BirdSavers for the large picture window to try them out. After installing the BirdSavers we never had another strike on that window but did get some on the other north side windows which prompted me to order 3 more BirdSavers and again, once installed the strikes stopped! The BirdSavers are great, easy to install and they WORK! I don't how or why they work but I'm sure the folks at BirdSavers.com can provide much more detail than I:) I opted to purchase them “ready made” vs making them myself. I would highly recommend them!"
Julie Engan
Clark Fork, Idaho
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 2 months.)
"I am happy to tell everyone about your marvelous Zen Curtains. We moved to a beautiful location in Minnesota 2 years ago that is a bird lovers paradise. Almost immediately we were having several strikes against the windows everyday and 6 to 8 dead birds every week. We tried closing curtains, removable window paint etc with minimal impact plus losing the beauty of our view. This is our second spring season following installing the Acopian BirdSavers and have not had a single strike - not one!! Hard to imagine that these are not on everyone‘s windows."
Kim Gaitskill
Minnesota
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"We have many migrating birds that pass through. Some stay for the summer. The nature center where I work was hesitant to do anything even though we were having crashes. Someone suggested Acopian, but my boss wasn‘t sure. So I ordered them for my home, but tried them at the nature center first to see how my boss liked them. He didn’t like them. I took them down and brought them to my house. I love them. No bird crashes that I have witnessed. Zero since I put them up. Gives me peace of mind. After I took them down at the nature center, a long time summer resident, yellow-bellied sapsucker, crashed into our window and died. Sad story."
Kate Caldwell
Crete, Illinois
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 6 months.)
"I am more than glad to help. In fact, I am planning to take measurements of another window so that I can install your wonderful BirdSavers. I have loved all birds and waterfowl since I was a young girl. A few years ago, I put out hummingbird feeders and one particular window reflects the gardens. When one hummer bumped into the window, I started researching. I finally decided on BirdSavers and to be honest, I find them not only incredibly effective, but it’s very comforting to watch as the cords gently sways in the wind. No strikes since I installed it! (Btw, after a few minutes in a darkened box, the little Anna Hummingbird fully recovered!) Very happy with BirdSavers!!! People always ask what it is and it gives me the opportunity to share the sad facts about bird deaths due to window crashes."
Emily Byrum
Langley, Washington State
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 6 months.)
"We have so many birds in our yard and had so many flying into our living room window, as many as 10 in one day. I tried decals and I tried hanging streamers from the porch, nothing made a difference. While searching the Internet I came across Acopian BirdSavers and thought I would give them a try. They have worked amazingly well and now instead of having bird strikes nearly daily we have maybe one or two a month. I highly recommend them. Appearance from outside. You can see from the refection in the window how the birds would think they were flying into the trees."
Jean Peterson
Garretson, SD
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 1 months.)
"We have had a couple of mourning doves fly smack into our kitchen bay window, so I went online and discovered the Acopian BirdSaver. I installed the BirdSaver over two years ago, and since that time we have not experienced any fly ins into the window. It seems to be doing the job."
James W. Rogers
Lake Forest, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 1 months.)
"I want to share how relieved and glad I am to finally have the BirdSavers. It has made all the difference. We put up a bird feeder every winter outside our 2 kitchen windows. Invariably, there have been birds hitting the windows, four or more times, over the course of the season. Since the BirdSavers went up, no collisions. When I look out the windows and see the cords gently swaying, I feel a great deal of gratitude for them."
Lucy DeWolf
Lexington, MA
(BirdSavers in place for 6 months.)
"The BirdSavers are on two large picture windows on our lanai, which overlooks a pond. Since we live on a pond, we get quite a bit of bird “traffic”. Shortly after we had our lanai enclosed, including two large picture windows, two ducks coming off of the pond flew into the windows. One was unharmed, but the other one appeared to have damaged its bill. Being a bird lover, I felt terrible and certainly wanted to avoid any future harm to birds from striking the windows. I went online to search for solutions. Putting decals all over the windows was not an acceptable solution for us; then we found Acopian bird savers. They have been on our windows for close to three years now and seem to have solved the problem. We’ve seen marks on the windows twice that look like a bird may have flown into the window, but it seems like they must see the bird savers in time for them to check their flight and avoid serious injury. We find that having the bird savers hanging on the windows really doesn’t impact our view at all. We’re so used to them that we barely see them. Most people ask what they are and are interested to find out why they are there. A few people have asked right away if they are to avoid bird strikes. Some people don’t even notice them! Our lanai is full west facing, so the heat from the summer Florida sun gets pretty intense, and we get strong winds during severe thunderstorms, but the fasteners have held up well for the most part. I have had to glue some of them back on and have lost only a couple so far. Overall, we’re quite happy with the bird savers, and they’ve given us much peace of mind, which is definitely worth the price!"
Mark & Karen
Lake County, Florida
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 11 months.)
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help spread the word about BirdSavers. My husband and I have owned our home in the hills of Oakland California for 48 years, and have been restaurant owners since 1986. I installed the BirdSavers on almost all of our east-facing windows, which face a slope of wooded garden. Our north-, south-, and west- facing windows do not reflect in such a way as to cause bird strikes. But the east windows were deadly. I was responsible for the birds’ deaths, taking pleasure in living in a home with many windows which were in turn destroying miraculous beings which are, to me, a most precious part of nature. I sent for stickers for the windows and they did not help. When I saw BirdSavers online, I sent for them and had no difficulties in putting them up. It has been several years since I installed them, and I’ve had no more bird deaths! No more burials in my yard. No more watching as a bird closed its eyes for the last time. This isn’t about me, but really, living in a house with deadly windows had made me question my right to live in anything other than a cave. I’m not subject to such thoughts often. I still drive a car pretty much obliviously, and wear leather shoes, etc. But every single time I come home and open my windowed front door hung with cords, I feel gratitude to the person who devised them. Our house is not visible from the street, so no neighbors see the BirdSavers, therefore no comments. And I can’t remember anyone coming to the house commenting on them, but I don’t know why that is, as their purpose may not be obvious. They should be on every window in America that has had a bird strike."
Maggie Klein,
Oakland, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 4 months.)
"We love our large picture windows that overlook our forested back yard area. We have been working hard to restore the forest (remove exotic species, plant interesting native plants) and improve the wildlife value. However, we know that windows and wildlife do not mix. We like the BirdSavers because they are a proven solution and they are very inexpensive and easy to install. We have not had any bird collisions since we installed them. We also don’t even notice them anymore. Unfortunately, we had to take them off for a siding replacement project so cannot take a photo at this time, but they are going right back once the siding is back on."
Lori Biederman
Ames, Iowa
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"I run a nature center that hosts children’s programming. In the building, we have several very large walls of windows, designed to take in the view of the forests and bird feeders. As you can imagine, collisions were fairly common, and sometimes led to awkward moments during programs! I was so thrilled to purchase the BirdSavers. They were very easy to install, only about an hour of work, they don’t obstruct our view, and I have not seen or heard a single collision since! Thank you!"
Kirsten Bull, Interpretive Manager
Children’s Schoolhouse Nature Park
Lake Metroparks, Ohio
(BirdSavers in place for 5 months.)
"The BirdSavers are on my deck window where I have my bird feeders. Since I installed my BirdSavers a few years ago, I’ve had no bird strikes. My husband and I had tried all kinds of tricks to help the birds that we love safely come to our feeders, nest in our trees and bushes and fly around our and our neighbors yards where we can watch and enjoy them. I’ve told many friends how helpful and easy these are to install and am grateful to have them."
Libby S.
Alaska
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 1 month.)
"I have never been more impressed with any product that I have purchased. These BirdSavers did exactly what they claimed to do. We used to get birds flying into our windows almost every day. We feed the birds and I couldn’t stand the thought of feeding them and then having them fly into our window so we found BirdSavers and - since these were installed we have had ZERO birds fly into our window. That’s amazing. I think we installed them about 1 year and a half ago or more. They were super easy to install and I love having them. I also love when people ask me what they are because then I get to tell them all about the birds and how easy it is to help save them.
Thank you so much - I love your product!!"
Kim King
Phoenix, Arizona
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 11 months)
"My Bird Saver is on my sliding glass door at home. In the two years I lived in my house before installing my Bird Saver, I probably had 10 bird strikes on the sliding door to my deck. All but one of the birds died. This just broke my heart. In looking on the internet for what I could do about it, I was delighted to find the Acopian Bird Saver (all other solutions seemed aesthetically, well, horrible). I installed it 9 months ago, and have not had a single strike in all that time. My neighbors have bird feeders, so we’ve been inundated with nesting birds for the last month or so. I’m so happy that I now have the pleasure of watching the birds (and today a couple of fledglings) without worrying about them. Many, many thanks."
Joan Churchill
Bend, Oregon
(BirdSavers in place for 9 months.)
"I care about birds and the BirdSavers window prevention is the best measure I have used to avoid bird to window collision. BirdSavers were easy to install and look good. I liked the first BirdSavers I bought so well, I purchased another."
Bonnie S.
SW Washington State
(BirdSavers in place for 9 months.)
"The Acopian BirdSavers are on all the windows facing the backyard. I recently added one to the storm door. After a bird strike (fortunately didn’t cause injury or death), on the front storm door, I realized there was quite a reflection so I added one there. The only bird strike I’ve had in the years that I have had these was a flicker trying to escape a hawk. Once in a while I see a little song bird land on one of the strings. So obviously they can see them and don’t fly directly into the window. I love these. You order the width and height that you need. I don’t find them expensive at all. It does the job. When people talk about how to mitigate the number of bird strikes on their windows, I always suggest Acopian BirdSavers and offer my experience. It’s hard to believe that these simple cords creating vertical lines actually deter birds from flying into windows. But they do!"
Nancy Lewis
Seattle, WA
(BirdSavers in place for 7 years, 7 months.)
"I purchased these BirdSavers for my workplace. I became disheartened with birds hitting the picture windows overlooking the floodplain below. A dead hummingbird was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I looked for a solution online and found Acopian BirdSavers. I have not noticed a single significant bird strike since the install - over a year ago now. I find it really refreshing that you not only manufacture/sell a turnkey solution, but you also provide DIY instructions for those that might not want to buy something. It shows you’re motivated to save birds, not necessarily make a buck."
Jon Zvanovec, Project Manager
Metroparks Toledo
Maumee, OH
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 8 months.)
"Thank you, Jeff, for the amazing work you are doing in the world on behalf of birds and humans, and the spaces between us! It is an honor to contribute to your efforts in this way. We love birds! It brings our family such joy to experience their presence around our home - the way they invite our attention outward, reconnect us with the rhythm of Nature, and offer us their songs. It was always so jolting when we would hear a “thud” and really distressing when a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker crashed into our window and died in our bush. We researched many different approaches and went with Acopian BirdSavers. We couldn’t be happier as we haven’t heard a single thud since installing it! Birds abound around us, but can navigate safely because of this product. We are so grateful to Jeff for creating a product that is so compassionate and effective."
Laureen Golden
Ithaca, NY
(BirdSavers in place for 11 months.)
"Our BirdSavers are hung across a large picture window at the front of our home. When I began working from home a couple of years ago, I noticed the thud of birds hitting our picture window. Once I realized just how regular an occurrence this was, I researched options for preventing bird window strikes. Since installing the BirdSavers on our front window in 2018, I have only heard the dreaded thud once or twice, and have witnessed on multiple occasions birds flying toward the window only to turn back or land on the BirdSavers strings at the last moment. We got used to the strings quickly and hardly "see" them anymore. Going from multiple bird strikes on some days to only perhaps one or two in a year is proof positive that BirdSavers work!"
Lauren M.
Gunnison, CO
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 11 months.)
"The BirdSavers are at my home...these things are great.....large window 5" X 8" and right outside are bird feeders. We would hear a thud most every day....now rarely. About 97% effective I would say. Thanks for the invention."
John P.
Southeast Pennsylvania
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 3 months.)
"After 3 beautiful migrating birds killed themselves on my dining room windows which face the garden especially designed for birds, I researched how to prevent this calamity. An attractive solution seemed to be installing Acopian BirdSavers. I ordered them already manufactured rather than making them myself as I had five windows to protect and am not very handy. They have been on my windows for probably close to five years now and I have not had a bird strike since. I leave them in place permanently and find them no problem as far as looking out of the windows. In fact they are rather attractive when they dance in the wind. Almost never do strong winds tangle the cords and usually they return to vertical on their own. I admit I am surprised at how effective they are and happily recommend them as an unobtrusive way to deter bird strikes on windows. Acopian BirdSavers are such a simple and effective way to protect birds from windows in my experience."
Patricia Stone
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 7 months.)
"I have a high window in a vaulted room in my house and, for many years, I was sickened by the number of birds that hit that window and were either injured or killed. The window reflects tree tops and the sky and at certain times of the year, usually in early evening, I would get these bird strikes. About 5 years ago, I installed a BirdSaver and I don't believe there has been a single bird strike on that window since then. The window is angled at the top. The BirdSaver was installed along the top of the window at an angle but the strings hang down straight so it is equally effective as it would be on a normal window. The strings are barely noticeable and well worth the saving of the birds. This is a great solution to the problem. Thank you for this great product."
Katherine Mattson
St. Paul, MN
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 1 month.)
"The BirdSavers are on our kitchen window about 20 feet from our feeders. Since installing them 3-5 years ago, we may have had one bird strike the window. Before it was a weekly occurrence. I’ve recommended the device to many friends."
The Rev. Robert Dooling, Emeritus Pastor
Mountain View Presbyterian Church
Loveland, CO
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 6 months.)
"I got tired of killing declining forest species like Wood Thrush, as well as other birds that live near my home in woods and use my feeders. The BirdSavers have reduced window strikes by ~90% (estimate, not counts). I have had 4 strikes I'm aware of in the year since installation (female purple finch, c.yellowthroat, another yellowthroat, and a female rose-breasted grosbeak. Only the 1 yellowthroat and 1 purple finch died from those strikes. I think the cords at least slow them down on approaching the window, but why a few still go through fast enough to get killed I don't know. www.birdsofwhitewaterriver.com"
Robert Ross (USGS--retired)
outside Wellsboro, PA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year.)
"These things are amazing! Easy to install. Noticed a change immediately. Went from 2-3 "thuds" per day to maybe once a month."
Peter Flipsen & Patricia Visser
Carlton, OR
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 2 months.)
"We like the BirdSaver and it has stopped the "thuds" completely. We live in a very windy area of the Sierra Nevada mountains and at times the strings get entangled with each other but so far they untangle if left alone."
Richard A. Harvey
Markleeville, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 3 months.)
"I had several birds killed by flying into my windows and was very concerned. I looked at many options and the BirdSavers were easy to install (in particular I did not have to attach anything to the window glass and gravity maintains the straight lines and even spacing), attractive, and have been effective. My home office is in the garden and many birds enjoy the garden."
Sharon Singer
Berkeley, California
(BirdSavers in place for 7 months.)
"Here's what I wrote in The Record (Bergen County, NJ) four years ago in 2016. I feel the same now:
By Jim Wright, column for Nov 18, 2016, Special to The Record:
Read the original article here.
"Let’s face it. Although feeding wild birds is an enjoyable pastime, it has its downsides -- from relentless squirrels to gluttonous jays. For me, however, the worst aspect of feeders is birds inadvertently flying into my dining room window. These window strikes are typically caused by birds trying to escape the attack of a hungry sharp shinned or Cooper’s hawk. In their panic, the birds don’t see the pane of glass and fly smack into it. Hawks that chase birds from feeders fly into windows as well. Sometimes the impact can be fatal to birds large or small. Over the years, my wife and I have tried several ways to reduce the bird strikes, from simply not washing our windows as often to sticking faint plastic silhouettes on the outsides of the panes so they don’t appear clear anymore. But as we found out, dirty windows and decals don’t quite cut it. An incident last fall made us take drastic action. One sunny September afternoon, we heard a sickening thunk at our large dining-room window. We hurried outside to find a female redstart lying motionless on our deck. Dead or alive? We weren’t sure, so rather than move the bird or seek help too hastily, we sat nearby for several minutes to protect it from possible predators. Slowly, the delicate warbler opened her eyes and regained her senses. After while, she flew off, much to our relief. Then and there, we realized we needed to do more to safeguard our windows. One expert recommended moving the feeders closer to the house so that the birds would be more aware of the huge obstruction (our house) blocking their escape route. But I knew from experience that feeders near homes and decks usually mean a free buffet for every squirrel in our zip code. I also knew that redstarts are almost never seen at feeders, so feeder location was not the only source of the problem. Since January, we’ve been using something called Acopian BirdSavers, which Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia have installed to reduce window strikes. The design could not be simpler -- strands of 0.125-inch-diameter, olive-drab parachute cord, 4.25 inches apart, hung vertically from a cord across the top of the window frame and attached with Velcro or hooks. Acopian’s website has instructions for do-it-yourselfers, and the small Pennsylvania company also sells the finished product. (I chose the latter because it was simpler.) Owner Jeff Acopian and his family created BirdSavers back in 1980s because, he says, "We hate it when even one bird is killed at a window." In the nine months since my wife and I installed the BirdSavers, we’ve had just one window strike, by a mourning dove, which survived. I doubt any solution is foolproof, and my gut instinct at this point is that the (BirdSavers) parachute-cord approach works the best. We haven’t put the (BirdSavers) cords on all the windows -- just the biggest one near the feeders. Some folks may not embrace the idea of cords dangling from their windows, even if the Acopian refers to the BirdSavers as “Zen Wind Curtains.” We don’t even notice them. More important, we almost never hear that distinctive and sickening thunk of a bird flying into the window."
Jim Wright, Homeowner and birding columnist
Allendale, NJ
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 6 months.)
"The BirdSavers are on our patio window and door. These are so wonderful! After having five birds hit our glass door in one week (three died on the spot), I went searching for a solution. Acopian BirdSavers works! I've had them hanging outside for over a year and, as far as I know, no other birds have met their demise by flying into the glass. I've even seen a couple fly up to the glass, see the BirdSavers, and veer off without harming themselves. We live in the woods, and it has really saved our birds."
Rebecca Smith
East Tennessee
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 3 months.)
"I ordered this product after I experienced a beautiful dove fly into the glass french doors on my back patio. The poor bird did not survive. I was devastated. I pledged to do whatever I could to prevent this from happening again. My patio backs up to a wooded area where there are many birds. I have bird feeders and birdbaths out and enjoy watching them. The glare on the doors shows the trees and from the bird's view, looks like they are flying into the trees. There have also been several near misses. I searched the internet for a solution and found your website. I ordered the BirdSavers and I love them! They look elegant and I love the zen-like appearance. Since installing them, I have not had any birds flying near the windows. It has really helped and I have been completely satisfied. I would recommend this product to save our birds. I was astounded to read on your website how many birds are lost each year to this problem that has such a simple solution. Thank you for making and sharing this product!"
Mitzie Meyers
Hammond, Louisiana
(BirdSavers in place for 10 months.)
"I have always been troubled when a bird is injured or killed by striking our windows. We love to feed the birds so want to help and not harm them. We have tried a number of options to prevent window strikes. They all have had some benefit. The only one we have been pleased with is the Acopian BirdSavers. They are aesthetically pleasing as they sway in the breeze. We can still see the birds well. The BirdSavers are on a dining room door and a picture window. I can easily photograph around them. They are simple and quite easy to install. We have had bird collisions since installing them but almost none."
Herb M
Harman, WV
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years.)
"I'm pleased with our Acopian BirdSavers! Even though I have put the feeders more than 10 feet away from the house, we have hawks occasionally scare the song birds into the window. We put up the Acopian lifesavers and have only had one minor thud since then - I do think the bird saw the strings and pulled up before hitting the window hard."
Terri Miller
Winter Park, Florida
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"We tried cardboard hawk silhouettes. Red ribbons. Masking tape x’s. Nothing worked to protect birds from crashing into our tall casement windows until we installed Acopian BirdSavers. Once in a while a bird misses the warning but seems to swerve at the last minute and hit less violently. We haven’t seen a dead bird since we put up the BirdSavers."
Susan Crawford
Chicago, IL
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"I was having a lot of bird collisions on my family room glass doors. So many that I took my feeders down for awhile. After researching any solutions I found Acopian BirdSavers AND I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!! I am not exaggerating when I say I cannot remember the last collision. I’m quite certain since hanging them I’ve probably had less than 3, and none of them were fatal. I’ve had them up for several years now and I absolutely love them and would totally recommend them. And they look really cool too!!! Thank u for such a fabulous product."
Vicky Ebert
Valparaiso, Indiana
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 6 month.)
"We built an extension out over what was part of the deck. We didn’t realize what a huge “fly-thru” area it was until shortly after the sliders got installed. We heard one “thud” and then another the next day and we looked helplessly at each other, at a complete loss as to what to do. Then I found Acopian! We love this very “zen” design and ever since we installed them, there hasn’t been one thud (and there are loads of birds around; several nesting pairs)! Thank you so much! What a brilliant idea!"
Sandy & Russ Shannon
E. Harwich, MA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 8 months.)
"This has been such a wonderful product. I live in a canyon outside of the city. My property is surrounded by trees and I have many different kinds of birds in my yard. Prior to installing the BirdSavers I had birds flying into my windows regularly. They were either injured or killed. Since installing these on two of my windows I have no birds flying into the windows. I have recommended BirdSavers to many friends."
Hilary S.
Salt Lake City, Utah
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 2 months.)
"We bought BirdSavers because we had a crab apple tree that the birds loved, but that would show in reflection on our living room windows. The birds thought it was a second tree, and several would get hurt every year. This was particularly distressing to my kids, and I never knew what to do when a bird was hurt but not killed - leave them alone? Put a basket over them? Take them somewhere? Since these windows were the most prominent in the house, we wanted to find a solution that would be pretty from the inside, but very effective from the outside. Some of the other things we tried (tinsel, stickers, and a plastic owl) didn't seem to work well enough. The BirdSavers were perfect. They looked really nice from inside the house, and we didn't have a single bird strike once they were installed. They worked for years! I was particularly impressed with how well the BirdSavers survived repeated Minnesota winters and storms. They were definitely the most elegant solution. We are moving to a new house soon, and if we have any troublesome windows, we'll go straight to the BirdSavers!"
Kendra Hoffman, Owner, Kendra's Voice, LLC (voice over services)
SW suburbs of Minneapolis
(BirdSavers in place for 6 years, 1 month.)
"The BirdSavers are installed on dining room window. Our birdfeeder was hung from a tree just 5 feet from the window. Not a good distance! Birds hitting the window were a frequent occurrence, with some mortality, until we installed the BirdSavers. It was an easy installation with an immediate reduction in the thuds against the window. There were still some window hits because the birds would haggle with each other around the bird feeder, and when they did, they were oblivious to the window even with the BirdSavers installed. However, the most important thing is that mortality dropped to zero. We have since moved the bird feeder to a location farther from the house (less dangerous for the birds). We decided to leave the BirdSavers on the dining room window because birds sometimes try to “shortcut through the house” and the BirdSavers is not at all visually displeasing. Problem solved. The BirdSavers have no effect on the territorial nesting Robins. They peck at the window anyway."
Rob Harris
Langley, WA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 1 month.)
"NO bird strikes since put in place a couple of years ago. Bird strikes used to be frequent, loud, scary and some birds died. It worked much better than decals. We feel it looks much better than decals and our visitors agree. Decals interfere with your view, the BirdSavers do not. Zero maintenance."
Martin M.
Pleasant Hill, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 6 months.)
"I came across the BirdSavers site and found your do-it-yourself section after seeing the cool photos of the Acopian system. I'm not much of a builder but I went out and got the paracord at Menard's. The only color they had that I liked and would put on my window was like a camo, but it looked great and seems to be working well. We had one "tap" from a bird earlier the day or so after we put it up when they were deciding who was going to be with whom, and whose territory was whose, but no casualty from it. This has been a deadly window for bird strikes and we have a LOT of birds in our rural woods/farm area of Michigan. We've tried other things that either didn't work or that we couldn't see through the window and still got hits. It doesn't obscure our view at all and looks very classy. I've even taken pictures from inside through the paracord with a zoom lens and a good camera and it fades completely from view while showing what I zoomed in on the lawn outside the window. Thanks for a great product! I'm passing this along to all my outdoor loving family and neighbors!"
BirdSavers DIYer
Staranne Maxson
Michigan
"I was hesitant to try BirdSavers, because I was concerned about the look of the cords from inside the house, but after the second or third day, I just quit seeing them. I love the BirdSavers cord idea because I know it saves birds. A few times each year, a bird will bump the glass, but I have never found a dead bird under one of the windows that has BirdSavers on it. I am ever so grateful to you for the original idea. BirdSavers have been on my last three houses, starting in Nov 2010. I am now passionate about doing all that we can to protect our birds from window strikes and have done two presentations on how to make the BirdSavers or Zen Wind Curtains."
Carolyn Minson
Member of Hot Springs Village Audubon
Hot Springs Village, AR
(Originally purchased BirdSavers 10 years ago.)
"I finally found your wonderful website after searching for solutions to window bird strikes. I ordered parachute cording and sent my husband to the local hardware store for J-channel and in a matter of an hour we had installed the Zen Wind Curtain. That was a week ago and we have not had a single strike since then and we were having several a day. I cannot thank you enough for your cheap and easy solution to a very vexing problem. The doves thank you also. Such an easy solution that I am still shaking my head in amazement."
BirdSavers DIYer
Marjorie Grant
Sun City West, AZ
"I have Acopian Birdsavers on 90% of my windows. Several years ago I was sitting on my back deck and a hummingbird hit a window and died before my eyes. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back! I had tried other ways of deterring bird strikes but they didn’t work. Any time someone wonders what they can do to reduce bird strikes, I recommend Acopian BirdSavers! Thank you for developing this product!"
Deb Siefken
Orrtanna, PA
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 8 months.)
"The BirdSavers are the best invention ever. No more bird deaths from our windows! Love these and we have a huge variety of birds coming to our large fountain!"
Annie Nast
Bend, OR
(BirdSavers in place for 11 months.)
"The BirdSavers really has made a difference in saving the birds.
Michele Romano
Webster, NY
(BirdSavers in place for 11 months.)
"I am VERY happy with the BirdSavers."
Susan Taylor
Grand Valley, Ontario, CANADA
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 4 months.)
"My husband and I built a new home on the 380 acres that we own in south central Wisconsin. It is a property with diverse natural habitats and has been designated as a State Natural Area that we call Fair Meadows. Our interest in ecology and ecological restoration started with bird watching. We were heartbroken when birds began striking the windows of our new home. That sickening “Thud”! We tried decals and screens fastened to the outside of our windows. During migration we used window “chalk” to put patterns on the windows. We still had strikes and both the decals and the screens were difficult to maintain. Then we tried the Acopian BirdSavers. They are wonderful! They are easy to put up and only one has fallen down over three years of use (and that includes harsh winters and some high winds). The only strikes we still have are when a bird is being chased by a Coopers or Sharp-shinned hawk. We now have them on all of our windows, even the large windows in the living room. We don’t notice them at all. Many guests have made positive comments about their appearance and have ordered some for themselves when we describe how they work. Keep up the great work!"
Penelope Shackelford
Milton, WI
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 2 months.)
"I am very pleased with my Acopian BirdSavers since installing them last year. It provides real peace of mind. I attract many species near my house because I have feeders nearby. I spend many hours watching the feeders and I used to witness numerous bird strikes. Since installing Bird Savers on all of my sliders and on several of my larger windows, I have not had any bird fatalities and I am not even aware of any collisions. I plan on recommending Acopian Birdsavers to other people in my bird club."
Tom Zissu
Woodbury, CT
(BirdSavers in place for 8 months.)
"On behalf of the Green Team at Straughan Environmental, we would like to express our appreciation for the Acopian BirdSavers. Knowing that bird strikes are the number one human cause of bird strikes/deaths, the green team wanted to make a difference locally. We purchased and put up the Acopian BirdSavers at numerous windows in our corporate office in 2017. Since then, we have been recording the bird strikes in other areas without bird protection, to see if we need to add bird protection devices to these areas. We will most likely be adding more areas to our bird protection initiative. The existing bird protection was placed along two walls where previously identified bird strikes were occurring. We actively educate our staff and clients about our how important it is to reduce bird strikes and our efforts to do this. We have even had the local chapter of the American Bird Conservancy come to visit in 2019! We are glad to do our part and encourage others by example!
Sincerely, Diana Gutierrez & Tom Hay Co-Chairs, Straughan Green Team"
The Green Team at Straughan Environmental, Inc.
Corporate Office, Columbia, MD
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 6 months.)
"We have sold the house where we had the bird saver, so no pictures, but I'm happy to give written feedback. After years of about one bird mortality per year, something changed--3 birds flew into our picture window in a single month. After considering (and rejecting) stickers on the window and keeping the window blind down 24/7, we decided to try an Acopian BirdSaver. We hoped it would solve the problem. It did! In the two years we continued at that address, we had no more sickening "thuds" on our window. The BirdSaver came with clear instructions and was easy to install. We were surprised by the fact that we liked the look of the BirdSaver--guests found it a curiosity, which we were happy to explain. When we sold the house, the new owners volunteered that they planned to leave the BirdSaver in place."
Pamela Beck
Fresno, CA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"When I moved out to the countryside I was delighted to discover a great diversity of birds visiting my property. Our small bungalow has a large picture window (5’ x 10’) in the living room which makes birdwatching easy & enjoyable. However, my peaceful pastime was soon interrupted by a series of upsetting incidents of “bird strikes” - birds flying into the window and falling to the ground stunned and sometimes dying. Over the next ten years I affixed various decals to the window. These stickers, depicting birds and butterflies, were supposed to stop, or at least slow down, the bird strikes. However, I did not notice a difference in the rate of the distressing bird strikes, and the stickers started to fade & peel as I looked for a better solution. I don’t remember how I came across the Acopian BirdSavers website but, intrigued by the design, and desperate to stop the injuries to the birds, I ordered a set. It has been over 5 years now since my BirdSavers have been installed and I could not be happier! Nobody in my household has witnessed a single bird strike since the installation! (Previously, we would see a dozen or so a year.) They have held up under harsh weather and continue to look pleasing. They do not obstruct the view from the window, if anything, they add a calming effect. I am happy to provide my testimonial for Acopian BirdSavers because I know they save lives!"
Susan Taylor
Grand Valley, Ontario Canada
(BirdSavers in place for 5 years, 5 months.)
"I ordered the premade custom BirdSavers and used the included Velcro for installation (which was very simple) for a picture window. The window faces the southwest and had multiple bird strikes over the years, even with ultraviolet reflective decals in place. Before discovering the BirdSavers I had resorted to filling the interior window with post-its to stop the window strikes that were especially frequent in the fall. Since the BirdSavers were installed, I have had only one known window strike during a panic flight from a hawk and no deaths. My bird feeder stations and water sources are at an exterior patio and much closer to the house than recommended for safe flights. I am so pleased with their effectiveness that I've discussed them with my favorite bird supply store owners. It's amazing that something so simple and inexpensive works so very well. They are not visually intrusive. My original Acopian BirdSavers is still up in it's original place and is still working after several years."
Michelle Wisniewski
Farmington, Michigan
(BirdSavers in place for 4 years, 1 month.)
"I love our Acopian! We have had maybe two bird strikes in the three years since installation. Your device is the only thing that worked. I also enjoy watching the string move in the wind. If bird strikes are an issue this is a great low tech solution."
Sharon Burchett
Bend, Oregon
(BirdSavers in place for 3 years, 3 months.)
"I was getting birds flying into our large glass patio doors on a regular basis. I have feeders about 25 feet away from the doors. After searching for some time to get some deterrent I came across the BirdSavers. Since installing them last year I have had maybe 2 or 3 hitting the glass, none fatal. For me they are very effective and I am pleased with the product."
Ronald Graves
Clayton, NY
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 6 months.)
"I made DIY BirdSavers and installed them about 3 years ago at my house using J channel. It has worked great so far. Nothing else I had tried has worked better. I used velcro and after a year the adhesive started to fail. I replaced it with the more expensive velcro extreme outdoor use and so far so good. I've told others and your email reminded me to post on my local Audubon chapter's website for others to consider."
BirdSavers DIYer
Pete Fenner
East Peoria, IL
"We live in a mature suburb just South of Pittsburgh PA. Our house has large picture windows, including one that faces our back yard. The yard has several huge trees and lots of undergrowth, so there’s plenty of wildlife activity. I have three bird feeders and love watching the cardinals, goldfinch, woodpeckers, and chickadees that feed there. I’ve tried to make our yard a friendly habitat for birds, so I felt horrible when an occasional bird would fly into the picture window. At first I tried a couple of quick solutions, such as decals, but it didn’t seem to help. After searching the internet for other ideas, I came across the Acopian Birdsavers and ordered one. We finally hung the Birdsaver two years ago and I am not aware of any bird strikes during that time. In fact, I’ve seen several birds fly towards the window, pulling up at the last second and hanging onto the dangling BirdSavers strands. For me, the best proof that Acopian BirdSavers work happened after I accidentally yanked one side of the Birdsaver down by carelessly closing the casement window. So half of the Birdsaver was in place, and half was hanging down uselessly. It took us a couple of weeks to rehang it, but during that time, we observed two birds hitting the portion of the window where the Birdsaver was now missing. That was compelling evidence to me that the Acopian BirdSaver works. Plus I enjoy the gentle swaying and tapping of the ropes against the window! Thanks for coming up with such a clever solution."
Carla Dundes
Pittsburgh, PA
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years.)
"The Birdsavers are on the dining room windows and picture window in the kitchen. I installed the BirdSavers about 2 years ago, and found they work like a charm. Lots of bird strikes before, none after."
Ray Squitieri
Chevy Chase, MD
(BirdSavers in place for 2 years, 8 months.)
"I live in an urban neighborhood however, we have abundant wildlife in our gardens, including racoons, opossum, skunk, squirrels and especially birds. Our living room overlooks the garden, with a balcony that has windows along its length. Tragically over the years, we have picked up stunned birds on the balcony deck, and dead ones, presumably from broken necks. At least half a dozen to 8 birds annually. The crashes stopped last summer when we installed Acopian BirdSavers on all the windows. The vertical cords are almost soothing to the eye as they sway in the breeze, and blend nicely into the natural environment. They are hardly noticeable to us, but seem quite visible to the birds forming an effective boundary. I am truly happy for the absence of thuds and little bodies lying senseless on the deck. It is one of the best investments I’ve ever made in the garden!"
Sonia Atalla
Oakland, California
(BirdSavers in place for 1 year, 7 months.)
"After three years of increasing problems with orioles, cardinals and robins hitting our windows, I came across the Acopian site. I followed the directions and made wind curtains for seven of our windows.... easy to make and attach. I purchased grey nylon cords at a camping supply store, and put them together during free time in a couple of days. Very easy to do. Putting them on the windows was equally easy with a few headless nails attached to the corners of the outer window frames. What a difference they have made. It is fascinating to watch the birds fly right up to the windows with the wind curtains, turn and fly away. We have even watched a cardinal hang on the strings for a few seconds and then fly off. Since they have been up, we have had no deaths of birds flying into the windows. We have grey vertical siding on an earth bermed home in the woods...the BirdSavers blend easily and do not interrupt our views. Cleaning windows is easy, and does not require removal. We have had the curtains in place now for several years, and have shared the BirdSavers web site with other interested friends. They are a great solution... and such an easy solution, if only people knew about them. I am also impressed that while the site also sells the curtains premade, the instructions are shared for free, and are so easy to follow, so as to make them readily available. Acopian BirdSavers is a successful, inexpensive and attractive answer to help save our winged friends!"
BirdSavers DIYer, Iowa
"We have had bird strikes over the years on a regular basis - always a sad event. My husband found your website, we ordered some paracord, and made our own zen wind curtains as per your instructions. What an elegant, simple solution. The curtains were very straightforward and quick to make. And I think they actually improve the look of our front picture window, especially when they wave gently in the wind. Looking forward to enjoying the view without the worry of bird strikes. Thank you!"
BirdSavers DIYer
Martha M.
New Brunswick, Canada
"The Acopian BirdSavers are great! We got our Acopian BirdSavers as a gift on December 25th, and put them up in the spring, and since we don't get many birds hitting the windows, we didn't see the results until one day attending a virtual event as a family. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a Gray Catbird fly full speed, with no intention of landing, (I should know since I am a birder and get to see them about 15 times a day), and then right before reaching the window the Catbird dips down, and comes to an abrupt halt, perching on the window sill. The Catbird looks at the window, as if confused, then hops off the windowsill and flies away. I truly believe that if the Acopian Birdsavers were not there the catbird would have hit the window, full force. After this life saved, I have no doubt that these deserve the name Birdsavers. For other functionality the Acopian Birdsavers work quite well. I followed the directions inside the box to attach them, and it has been about 6 months, and they are still hanging strong. I have not yet seen the need to clean them. The Acopian Birdsavers are also very window friendly, as I can open the window all the way and they fall back to as they were when I close it. So for all of this, thank you so much Acopian Birdsavers!!! (And Jeff Acopian as well)"
Maxwell Julius
"Most of my windows have full length screens on the outside, but the center glass on my bay window which gives me a beautiful view of the back yard and, specifically the bird garden, does not. I’ve tried many things to keep the birds from flying into it - decals, streamers, etc. Then I found the bird curtain (Zen Wind Curtain)! No life have been lost since I installed it. I’m a 68 year old woman and it was extremely easy to install—so anyone can do it. I was unsure how it would work in my very, very windy conditions, but just as the site says, it works fine. I am so grateful and my view is great (much better than with the decals)."
Beverly J.
Mendon, NY
(BirdSavers in place for 10 months.)
"Our family enjoys birdwatching and feeding birds in our yard. Unfortunately, the large windows we use for viewing often become a hazard for our feathered friends. After reading about Acopian BirdSavers, we made and installed them ourselves. The cost and effort were minimal but the benefits are huge. Since installation, we have had ZERO bird strikes. It is truly amazing. Please help spread the word about these beneficial (and beautiful) BirdSavers."
BirdSavers DIYer
Monica Wentz
West Deptford, NJ
"Windows reflect the sky and surrounding foliage. This is what a bird sees and flies toward it and crashes into the window and dies. This bird may have just completed a 1,000 mile journey to his or her breeding area and now it is dead. It has managed to survive the area where it spent the winter. Then it evaded many dangers along this long journey only to end up dead just outside my front window. Along with all the other dangers to birds such as habitat lost, herbicides, pesticides, target shooting, other birds looking for a meal, this bird survived to land in the tree at the front of my house. I looked out to see a beautiful Yellow Warbler and appreciate what this little bird had done to get there. When I looked again, it was dead simply because my window looked like the sky and another tree. Over the years I have tried various methods to prevent this from happening. I spent hundreds of dollars on decals that were supposed to be seen by birds and prevent the birds from flying into the window. Every spring, summer and fall I picked up many beautiful dead birds. I read about Acopian BirdSavers on a Cornell University All About Birds newsletter. I immediately ordered enough paracord from Bored Paracord to install the BirdSavers on 5 large windows. The cost was $42. I spent one day cutting the cord to the lengths needed. I spent one more day knotting the cord per instruction from the website. Then one morning with my husband’s help installing them on the windows. I am 75 years old and have arthritis in my hands. I had no trouble doing the knotting. It is so simple. Since installing the BirdSavers last fall, I have not had one dead bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband at first objected to having the cords hanging on the windows but we hardly notice them. They actually look nice waving in the wind. Cornell Lab All About Birds says that according to a 2014 study about 1 billion birds die from window strikes in the U.S. each year. Along with all the other reasons for declining bird populations, this is an easy, inexpensive method to reduce bird strikes. I believe there are many people who are looking for a way to reduce bird strikes but don’t know about Acopian BirdSavers. They really do prevent birds from flying into windows. They are inexpensive, relatively easy to make and install and are good looking."
BirdSavers DIYer
Diana Brandt
Darby, Montana
"We live in central New Hampshire on a rural hillside, in a modern house with a lot of large windows. Three or four years ago, we hung several bird feeders near a group of large windows near one corner of the house. We successfully attracted a large variety of birds, but we also experienced a sudden, unexpected, and sickening increase in bird deaths and injuries due to birds striking the windows. We first tried to prevent the strikes by putting up bird-shaped anti-collision stickers and painting various shapes on the windows with a UV liquid compound, methods that simply did not work. Next, I strung various materials (e.g., orange tape, newspaper strips, long CVS receipts) from the window causing the most bird strikes, but the materials were unsightly. Last spring, after a string of losses culminating in the death of a gorgeous male Hairy Woodpecker due to a violent strike that broke the woodpecker’s neck and left blood all over the deck, I said “that’s it – I am going to solve this problem once and for all!!! I can’t take it any more!!!!!!!” I researched several options online and liked the look of the Acopian BirdSavers the most. I reviewed the Acopian BirdSaver’s website quite carefully and was impressed that the Acopians were clearly passionate about preventing bird strikes and extremely willing to help people save money by making their own BirdSavers. I was also very impressed by the testimonials of many other parties who had successfully used the BirdSavers. I was most impressed, however, by the two scientific studies posted on the BirdSavers website under the heading “Scientific paper downloads about Acopian BirdSavers(PDF)”:
• "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Select Visual Signals to Prevent Bird-window Collisions" that appears in the June 2013 issue of The Wilson Journal of Ornithology published by the WilsonOrnithological Society.
• "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Acopian BirdSavers to Deter or Prevent Bird-Glass Collisions" by Dr.Daniel Klem, Jr.
Those studies proved to me that the BirdSavers worked extremely well under the experimental settings and suggested that if I created BirdSavers following the Acopians’ Do-It-Yourself instructions, I might have success. I did! I measured our windows, communicated with Jeff Acopian to resolve a couple of questions, bought parachute cord in the recommended color at the local hardware stores, followed the simple instructions, and with the help of my husband, installed ten sets of BirdSavers covering 18 separate windows, including two large trapezoidal windows. The results were astounding: No more deadly and injurious bird strikes on the windows using the BirdSavers!! None!!!We cannot stress enough the simplicity and effectiveness of the Acopian BirdSavers."
BirdSavers DIYer
Mary and Richard McGrath
Campton, NH
"We live in a tight neighbourhood with small lots and large trees. In the spring of 2017, we fully replaced all our old, drafty, ice-up-in-winter sheets of glass, with triple pane, loE, argon gas, beautiful windows. They are fantastic, and not only is there no more drafts, there’s no more ice build up inside that melts and leave puddles on the floor...But no sooner did we install our new windows than the "thunks" started. All day, everyday, some poor bird of one species or another literally crashed into our big front window. It was horrible.You'd find stunned, or worse (dead) birds laying in my flower bed. When I walked backward away from my front window I was aghast to realize no wonder this was happening... the windows had turned into a perfect mirror of our two large trees on our front lawn. It literally looked like there was another choke cherry and white birch where the house was. I immediately googled who/what /where/when/how to stop this carnage. My first stop was the window decals. You know the ones - they do the outside of our buses here in Calgary with advertising that you can see out of (from inside the bus), but we can't see in. The trouble with this was two fold: A) Cost. They are very expensive to fully cover your window with this method. You cannot cheap-out and put dibs and dabs of the stuff willy-nilly all over your window. If you do that, you need to have every "dolphin" three inches apart, and that's too many dolphins for me. B) Dark. Even testing a very small 24" X 24" square, the room darkened. I couldn't imagine the entire window covered. There's a window there for a reason - to let in the light! In the spring of 2018, I continued my search and found these "Acopian BirdSavers". The instructions were easy. The cost was more than reasonable. The time involved was minimal. I set off to Home Depot and bought the paracord. Mine is black with a reflective stripe twisting through it. (I recently found it at the local liquidation store for even less). I measured the window width, and started. Following the instructions, I cut full lengths of cord, attached them to the top cord and knotted the bottoms. They are beautiful. They sway ever so gently in the wind, and on a windless day they break up the "mirror" appearance of the window. From the inside, you hardly notice them. And the best part of all? No birds “slamming” into my window. I took them down last winter, and missed them! I kept them up this winter and they can uncannily measure wind velocity! In a city like Calgary with chinooks, north wind, west wind, winter storms and summer hail storms, they are like music against the window. I have recommended them to friends, one who made her own for the glass surrounding her huge deck, and I am currently making a set for another friend. I recommend them to everyone. Get the word out. This is important, even if it doesn't apply to you! This simple, inexpensive solution is saving birds lives."
BirdSavers DIYer
Kelly McCormack
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
"No one knows exactly how many birds lose their lives flying into glass, but it is likely at least half a billion. (That is Billion with a B.) Acopian BirdSavers are an elegant solution that is very effective in protecting birds without obstructing the view through the window. I know because I have them on nearly every window in my home and we also use them at the nature center I helped found (https://lgnc.org). We encourage our members and visitors to use them on their homes as well. One of the best things about BirdSavers is that the inventors (the Acopians) are not using the idea to make money - they are doing it to protect birds. They will make BirdSavers for you but encourage users to make it a do-it-yourself project. I have personally used parachute cord and command hooks to great effect on my own home. They are easy to install and they have saved countless bird lives at windows that birds collided regularly with when I first moved into my home."
BirdSavers DIYer
Dan Kunkle
Walnutport, Pennsylvania
"It is a sad fact that millions of birds die each year from flying into glass windows (particularly large 'picture' windows). And, aside from the dead birds, quite frequently these expensive windows are cracked or broken as a result of said collisions. There is an inexpensive preventive remedy: Acopian BirdSavers. These are EXTREMELY inexpensive, and VERY easy to make and install. Also, they are elegant in appearance, and unobstructive of the view that such windows provide."
BirdSavers DIYer
Tony Devoe
Grand Junction, Colorado
"I found two dead birds near my patio doors shortly after I hung some feeders. We then made Zen Wind Curtains/Acopian BirdSavers following Jeff Acopian’s simple directions. No more “thunks” into the patio! It was a $30, 2 hour project, and looks great. This is one simple way to help the birds."
BirdSavers DIYer
Patty Gardner
Lincoln City, Oregon
"They really work! Just a quick story, I have a picture window on my log home facing north with a smaller window opposite it on the south side. Birds were hitting the picture window thinking they could fly through the house to that back window. So sad. So I looked up what I could possibly do. I found the Acopian website, followed the directions and made a unit for the picture window. It has been in service for 2 years now, and the results are huge- not one strike."
BirdSavers DIYer
George Hubley
Southborough, MA
"BirdSavers are truly effective. I made mine about two years ago. Since then only TWO birds have hit my windows. Fortunately, they were able to turn away before hitting at full speed and weren’t injured. Before installing Acopian BirdSavers, 6 -12 birds a year died at my windows. So sad to see a beautiful bird with a broken neck. Not only are they effective, but attractive as well, as they gently sway outside the windows in the breeze."
BirdSavers DIYer
Greg Eckel
Cincinnati, OH
"My spouse and I recently moved into a new house in the country, where we found our windows attracting a great many birds who saw trees reflected in them, and killed themselves trying to fly into them. We discovered the Acopian BirdSavers on the internet and got in touch with Jeff Acopian, who was extremely helpful. His website provided simple instructions for making these ourselves. The materials cost less than $25. We have installed them on 12 windows and two doors, and have since not had a single bird death. In addition, these cords do not obstruct our beautiful view, but are elegant to watch."
BirdSavers DIYer
Trisha Tull
Henryville, Indiana
"After moving into our new house last summer I sought a simple, inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, and science-based solution to prevent birds from flying into my back patio door and front picture window. Acopian BirdSavers provided the solution and I am thankful for the information they provided. Many others would benefit from knowing about Acopian BirdSavers."
See Photo here.
BirdSavers DIYer
Jason R. Price
"You've saved many a bird at my house! Thank you so much for making this website w/instructions for making "Birdsavers". I was losing a bird a month at our house with many large windows until I made and installed these. Birds still sometimes brush the window but always as they are turning away... unhurt. The chickadees actually perch on them while waiting their turn at the feeders. The Birdsavers are far less detracting to the appearance of our home and far cheaper than other commercial products. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
BirdSavers DIYer
Tori M.