2004 NATIONAL NEWS RELEASE
BEND, OR, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Wild songbirds will enjoy a safer migration across North America this year with the invention of a new decal designed to prevent songbirds from striking windows.
WindowAlert has developed a static-cling decal that can be applied to windows. The decal contains a component that brilliantly reflects ultraviolet sunlight. This ultraviolet light is invisible to humans, but glows brilliantly for birds. The decals may be purchased at over 500 bird hobbyist stores across the country or online at www.WindowAlert.com.
“Humans don’t notice our decals, but birds are seeing a red stoplight,” says company founder, Spencer Schock. Schock was moved to develop the decals because birds were striking his office windows and dying.
Wyoming-based Western EcoSystems Technology estimates that 98 million birds are killed annually in the U.S. when colliding with windows. This statistic is based on an estimated one bird fatality per house in the U.S.
WindowAlert is helping to stem the loss by exploiting the keen vision of birds. Birds enjoy vision that is far superior to human vision according to Schock, a longtime bird enthusiast.
For example, both humans and birds have photoreceptive cones in the retina located at the back of the eye. These cones allow the eye to process color light. Humans have three cone types that are sensitive to red, green, or blue light; this is called trichromatic color vision. Birds enjoy a fourth cone or tetrachromatic color vision. This fourth cone expands the visible light spectrum for birds allowing them to see ultraviolet light frequencies.
“Birds fly fast in varying light conditions,” says Schock. “This is a dangerous activity; you might hit something. To meet the demands of flight, birds have evolved such that their eyesight is remarkably keen. Our decals take advantage of this evolutionary characteristic.”