Treating windows can be effective and beautiful, with the opportunity to combine creativity and research to make urban areas safer for birds. To make Carleton campus safer for birds, we painted a bird-friendly mural on a glass walkway that was identified as a hazard for window collisions. We teamed up with local artist Maria Gomez Umaña who had previously designed a bird-friendly mural at uOttawa. Through her mural design, Maria pays homage to the nature and biodiversity of Ottawa and connects appreciation for nature with conservation solutions.

After regular monitoring of the mural over spring migration, no collisions have been reported, successfully making Carleton campus safer for birds. To treat your windows with a bird-friendly mural, use an oil-based paint marker on the exterior surface for reflective glass or interior surface for transparent glass, making sure spaces between lines are 5cm apart to be as effective as possible.