Decorating your home is a great way to get into the Halloween spirit, but did you know that some decorations you might use can harm birds and other creatures?

Using items such as fake spider webbing, wool, fishing lines, and fruit netting outside your home can tangle up birds and other wildlife, making it dangerous to be around.

Check out some general tips and decoration ideas below to make your house extra spooky while keeping it bird-friendly this season!

• Use natural materials to decorate the outside of your home, such as sticks, twigs, leaves, and straw.
• Get your windows in on the spooky fun! Using window-safe decorations like vinyl decals or making designs with a washable marker can help birds know recognize that the glass is solid surface and avoid collisions. If you want to draw on your windows, make sure to keep gaps in the design less than 5 cm apart so a bird doesn’t think it can fit through the gaps!
• Let your cats celebrate the season indoors. Although the cooler temperatures might make it easier for them to roam outside, according to Avian Conservation & Ecology, outdoor domesticated cats account for over 100 to 350 million bird deaths every year in Canada alone. If your cat likes the outdoors, try having them on a leash to help keep more of our winged friends flying.

Together, we can keep our Halloween decorations thrilling and our native birds and wildlife thriving!