AMHERST — Life-threatening dangers are posed any time a migratory bird approaches a building, unaware that it could be on course to strike a window.
“They just see a reflection of vegetation or of the sky,” says Randy Dettmers, migratory bird biologist at U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Hadley, who estimates that 20 to 30 birds annually can be fatally injured at any one- or two-story building.
Assisting in a retrofit of some of the windows at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment on West Street on Tuesday afternoon, Dettmers was among volunteers applying a plastic film that, once removed, leaves a pattern of white dots, each about 2 inches apart, that can make the difference between life and death for birds. This pattern will help birds differentiate the glass from what they may otherwise see as an unobstructed path forward.
“They will realize before they get too close that there’s an obstacle in their way,” Dettmers said.
For a few hours on the mild day, more than a dozen employees from the federal agency made sure several windows on the southern wing of the Hitchcock Center will have this improvement. While some windows on the building already have silhouette illustrations of birds, providing some level of protection, the windows in the office portion of the building have remained clear.
Jonothan Ratcliffe sticks a pattern to a window at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Amherst. The pattern is to prevent birds from flying into the windows.
“Buildings are a huge issue,” said Bill Perry, deputy regional director for migratory birds at U.S. Fish & Wildlife. “Anything you can do to break up seams, break up the reflections, helps.”
Birds suffering fatal injuries from flying into windows has been considered a major contributor to a decline in bird populations.
Kim Snyder, development and communications director at the Hitchcock Center, said staff have been aware of the dangers faced by birds, occasionally hearing the smacks and thuds of birds that hit the windows.
Hitchcock Center Executive Director Billy Spitzer said the center was looking for a way to make the building safer for birds as well as provide an educational opportunity for those who visit.
Donna Walton, financial specialist from the migratory bird division, said this is an opportunity to give back to the community. “This is a migratory birds retreat, so we decided to take half a day to retrofit the windows,” Walton said.
From left: Bill Perry, Arthur Sanchez Jr. and Randy Dettmers stick a pattern to windows at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Amherst. The pattern is to prevent birds from flying into the windows.
The window collision tape being used is called FeatherFriendly. The Canadian company from which the Hitchcock Center ordered was given information about the size of the windows and calculated how much material to supply, said Barb Gilbert, Hitchcock’s office manager and volunteer coordinator.
The Fish & Wildlife personnel had experience from using an identical product on the windows at the department’s regional headquarters in Hadley. The adhesive film gets affixed to the windows, much like wallpaper, so the pattern of dots lines up. Then, 20 to 30 minutes later, the volunteers peel away the film. That leaves the white dots, which become a visual marker for the birds.
From inside the office, the dots are mostly unobtrusive, with the windows continuing to let in plenty of light to the workspace, Spitzer said.
FeatherFriendly also has provided educational material that the Hitchcock Center will incorporate into tours and classes. “Everything about this building is educational,” Snyder said.
Because of the volunteer work and the experience of the federal staff, the project came at minimal cost, about $250 to buy the roll of tape.
Gilbert said more windows could be done in the future, including to a connecting hallway where there are large panels of glass.
“We can order more film and do it this summer,” Gilbert said.
