by Shane Henson — November 14, 2011—In an effort to protect birds, whose leading cause of death in the United States is colliding into buildings, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Bird-safe Glass Foundation, have enabled architects, designers, developers, and building owners pursuing LEED green building certification to earn credit for incorporating design strategies that reduce bird collisions.
Up to one billion birds die each year from building collisions in the United States alone. During the day, birds are at risk from collisions with reflective and transparent windows, which they cannot see. At night, birds become attracted to lighted areas and may become diverted from natural migration paths toward city environments. Massive collision threats await them there, and take a huge toll on birds, both in the evening and during the daylight hours. Additionally, under some conditions, such as when especially bright lights are in use, birds may fly in circles within these “light fields” until they collide with each other or the building, or fall to the ground from exhaustion.
However, according to the USGBC, there are solutions. Some newer, high-performance green buildings still use large expanses of glass, but are also bird friendly because they incorporate additional architectural elements. The technologies and strategies described in the Bird Collision Deterrence Pilot Credit address such issues as indoor and outdoor lighting design and operation, building façade requirements, performance monitoring, and threat factors. The credit emphasizes creating “visual noise” that birds can perceive and thereby avoid hitting glass. This means modifying glass reflectivity, color (including UV), texture, or opacity.
