In the U.S., H.R. 1986—the Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2021—has been introduced in Congress. If passed, the act will ensure all U.S. government buildings, regardless of location, are built bird-friendly. In the meantime, many large North American cities, including New York, Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago have passed strict local guidelines as well.
Conclusion
Reducing bird mortality from glass collisions is a monumental challenge. As new buildings are built every year, the threat to birds increases. Architects and specifiers can play a major role in curbing the problem by exploring glazing solutions specifically engineered to be bird-friendly.
Biologists are continually refining testing systems to help the architectural industry make informed decisions when choosing a glass solution, as new bird behavioral research continues to help expand the knowledge base.
The architecture and building design industry is perhaps best positioned to press for long-term technological solutions for bird safety. The glazing industry has responded with innovative new products to help solve the problem. Aesthetics and cost are two challenges, but they are being continually met with new ideas from the glass industry. As technologies work to make glass noticeable to birds without obscuring or distorting views through glass, and as humans visualize and use the material, bird-friendly cities are likely to be on the horizon.
Notes
1 See Sheppard, Christine D. “Glass Collisions: Why Birds Hit Glass,” abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/why-birds-hit-glass/.
2 Read Sheppard, Christine D. “Evaluating the relative effectiveness of patterns on glass as deterrents of bird collisions with glass.” Global Ecology and Conservation, vol. 20, 2019, doi.org/
10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00795.
3 A downloadable copy of the guide is available at abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Bird-friendly-Building-Guide_LINKS.pdf
4 Visit “American Bird Conservancy Doubles Its Capacity To Test Bird-Friendly Glass.” ABC Press Release, March 24, 2022, abcbirds.org/article/bird-collision-testing-tunnel-md-launch/.
5 Refer to the American Bird Conservancy. “Bird Collision Deterrence Material Threat Factor Reference Standard.” abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ABC-Material-Threat-Factor-Reference-Standard-draft-9-29-2020.pdf.
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