Pls help-- swallows swarming/crashing into window! (1 Viewer)

[jlundin]

Hello, I am new to this forum and wondering if anyone out there knows what's happening here.. My parents live in Avila Beach by the Bob Jones Trail and this evening witnessed something very strange.. These are swallows and they are swarming in and out of a hole in this giant oak tree by my parents' patio. So many have smashed into their sliding glass doors and died. I feel so bad for these poor birds. My parents are pretty shaken up. They have lived here for fifteen years and have never, ever seen anything like this (neither have I!!)
Thanks in advance for any insight!
Warmly,
Jaymee

 

[delia todd]

Hi Jaymee and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I'm so sorry to hear about these swallows. I can't, of course, be sure but I have heard of birds being attracted to the lit windows of multi-storey buildings during migration. But it sounds like your birds are now in breeding mode.

Something must be attracting them towards your patio doors and they just aren't seeing the glass. It may be the angle of light of something ... can they draw the blinds for a short time as a test and see if that helps.

Hopefully someone will be along soon with some other suggestions.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi Jaymee and welcome to BirdForum.

We used to have a few birds flying into our conservatory (not to the extent of your parents though). We now keep the blinds closed permanently on one side so the can’t see through it. Has reduced the number of collisions significantly.

Rich

 

[Chris G6 UXU]

Hello Jaymee and welcome to the forum, you could also try putting a sheet over the window outside.

 

[Fritz73]

Hola Jaymee! Sorry to hear about the swallows at your place.
Somehow you need to disrupt the reflection of the nice trees and garden on the windows. Closing the blinds will do so. Or a cordell curtains will do also. Some people put adhesive stripes on the windows from the outside with gaps not wider than 10cm (just to give the birds the idea that there is no space to fly through). Hope this helps.
And welcome to Birdforum

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

Do your parents often see the huge number of swallows swarming in and out of the tree or is that the unusual occurrence? The birds seem to be disorientated and I wonder what is causing that.

 

[PYRTLE]

Incredible footage, probably a flock on passage to their breeding grounds. They look more like a small swift ( Chimney) and I can only guess they were looking to roost in the tree hole as nighttime approached. Hopefully it wont happen again as they continue on migration.

An extract from Conneticut D.E.E.P.

"Before New England was settled by the colonists, chimney swifts used big, hollow trees for nesting and roosting sites. As the trees came down and buildings went up, the birds moved into chimneys on buildings and homes."

Footage of evening gathering :

 

[KC Foggin]

Hi Jaymee and welcome aboard.
So sorry to hear about this problem with our beloved Swallows. Some kind of covering on the outside to block the reflections the birds are flying into is your best bet. Perhaps some screening stapled around the whole door. Good luck and please keep us updated on this.