SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/bird-mark-glass-barriers

Why should windows and mirrors be made obvious to a flying bird?

Birds can fly into clear or reflective surfaces and be hurt.

Start playing free

  1. They can look like open flight paths ✔
  2. They look like food bowls
  3. They look like safe perches

Why: A bird may not see clear glass or a mirror as a solid wall. Merck warns birds can fly into them and get hurt, so cover or mark them.

Huh, didn't know that: Merck notes free-flying birds are also hurt hitting walls or falling off shoulders and play gyms.

The dad joke
Why did the bird greet the mirror? It saw a familiar tweetheart.
Like this card?
Play the game

References

Answer: They can look like open flight paths. A bird may not see clear glass or a mirror as a solid wall. Merck warns birds can fly into them and get hurt, so cover or mark them.

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual, Household Hazards for Pet Birds www.merckvetmanual.com/bird-owners/routine-care-and-safety-of-birds/household-hazards-for-pet-birds
    Glass windows and mirrors: Birds can fly into these and get hurt.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

Think this answer is wrong? Tap "Challenge this answer" on the card in the game and tell us why.

Test yourself in the game

BirdsWhat must be checked before letting a bird out of its cage?BirdsWhat should happen to a ceiling fan before a bird leaves its cage?BirdsDoes a wing trim guarantee that a pet bird cannot fly away?

That's stuff everyone should know.