I like to set up my bird feeders close to the house so I have a front row seat for all of the action. Unfortunately, that also means that a bird will occasionally fly into the window. I’ve had a couple of birds die over the years, but most are just shaken up and need to sit in a nearby shrub for awhile to gather their wits. I once ran outside in the middle of January when the temperature (NOT the wind chill) was 20-below-zero to rescue a Junco that had clunked into the window. He looked okay, but he was sitting dazed on the snowy ground and I was afraid he’d freeze to death before he recovered. I nestled him in a towel in a tiny bird cage I had and put him in the basement to recuperate. When I let him go an hour or so later he was fine (although probably mad I made him go back out in that cold!). Anyone that has Mourning Doves around has probably had one hit the window. They smack so hard–and yet manage to live–that they leave a perfect imprint on the glass of their body and wings and sometimes even their eyeball, ick!
I’ve finally found something that stops the problem called WindowAlert. They are translucent, electrostatic decals that you put on the outside of your windows. The description from the company says “The decal contains a component which brilliantly reflects ultraviolet sunlight. This ultraviolet light is invisible to humans, but glows, like a stoplight for birds.” I’ve used them for about two years now with great results. They stay put on the windows regardless of the weather conditions, but they are simple to remove and leave no marks or residue. They used to come only in a maple leaf design but now there are hummingbird or butterfly decals as well. I highly recommend them.