When we were visiting North Carolina, we found there was a problem with birds hitting some windows, so we decided to make a Zen wind curtain (aka Acopian BirdSaver) following their directions. This photo shows how they look from the outside — barely visible.
Here’s how we created ours. Other examples we’ve seen are on this page.
We bought this paracord online.
We cut pieces of wood the length of each window, then drilled holes 4 inches apart.
We cut the cord to be a little longer than the length of the windows — better to be a little too long at this stage than not long enough. Then we burned the ends to melt the frayed fibers together to make it easier to thread through the holes.
After threading the cord through the holes, we knotted the ends. All ready to install!
Our son attached the blocks of wood to the tops of the windows. You can see how the windows reflect trees and sky, the cause of bird collisions.
After the cords were installed, we cut them evenly across the bottom. (We later wished we had left them a little longer, but it doesn’t affect their function at all.) After cutting them, we burned the frayed ends as we did for the top of the cord.
Here’s the view from inside the house. They move with any breezes, but have never tangled together. Very trouble-free!
Other examples of Acopian BirdSavers we’ve seen are on this page.
Resources
- BirdSavers:
- Acopian BirdSavers – a wealth of information for DIY or to purchase
- More photos of BirdSavers used in homes and institutions