What Even Is Bird-Safe Glass? FROM FOOTBALL STADIUMS TO YOUR OWN KITCHEN WINDOW, HERES YOUR GUIDE TO BIRD-SAFE GLASS. BY CLARA CHAISSON Published: 07/25/2014 Birders across the country are up in arms about the Minnesota Vikings new stadium, which is likely to be a death trap for migratory birds that cant see glass and fly into it. The stadium design includes 200,000 square feet of glass, and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) has said they wont spend the extra $1.1 million to use bird-safe glass. But what exactly is bird safe glass? And if not having it is such a big problem, how can you keep birds from flying into your windows at home? You have questions, we have answers. Why do birds fly into glass? Birds cant see glass. Instead, they see whatever happens to be reflected in its mirror-like surface. Often, this is open sky or trees, which, if youre a bird, are appealing (and perfectly safe) things to fly towards. Its estimated that between one hundred million and one billion birds die every year in collisions with manmade structures--the biggest killer of migratory birds after habitat loss. What is bird-safe glass? Bird-safe glass is specially designed to make glass a visible obstacle to birds. Luckily, its possible to make glass visible to birds while still keeping it transparent enough for humans. A variety of approaches, such as fritting, silk-screening, or ultraviolet coating, create a pattern that breaks up the reflectivity of the glass and alerts birds to its presence. More important than the technique used to create the pattern is its spacing: Testing has shown that the 2x4 rule is most effective--meaning that the silk, coating or markings are added across the pane, spaced two inches apart horizontally, and four inches apart vertically. Research has shown that birds will not fly through spaces less than two inches high or 4 inches wide. What does bird-safe glass look like? The Minneapolis Central Library, built in 2006. Because the spacing is what counts, bird-safe glass can be designed to feature many different types of patterns and etchings. For example, the Minneapolis Central Library used bird-safe glass that they designed to look like a forest. The glass was purchased from Viracon, a Minnesota-based company thats providing the glass for the Vikings Stadium. As the library demonstrates, the Vikings could customize a bird-safe glass, perhaps using their logo. Another company, German-based Arnold Glas, patterns its Ornilux bird protection glass with an ultraviolet-reflective coating. Birds can see the coating, but it is virtually invisible to humans. Where can I buy bird-safe glass? Many companies offer bird-safe glass, and the price is often just 5 percent higher than standard glass. Another option for limiting bird collisions is to construct buildings so that the glass is angled slightly downwards, and therefore wont reflect the skyline in the same manner. What about glass in your home? If youre not going to make the switch to bird-safe glass, there are other steps you can take to ensure that birds dont chart a collision course for your windows at home: 1. Paradoxical as it may feel, try placing your bird feeders close (1.5 feet or less) to your windows--it will make birds slow down as they approach. 2. Apply a thin film to the outside of your windows. The glass will become visible to birds, but remain transparent for you. As an added bonus for being so eco-savvy, the film will cut down on incoming infrared radiation, so it will also lower summer cooling costs. 3. Keep curtains or shades drawn during the day to reduce reflection. 4. Place window decals, sun catchers, tape strips, ribbons, or anything of your choosing (get creative!) in a dense pattern in the 2x4 format (a single decal will not work). 5. Move houseplants back from your windows, as they may attract birds. 6. Install a screen or net a few inches outside of your windows, to lessen the impact. Author Profile Clara Chaisson Clara Chaisson is a reporter for Audubon Magazine. READ MORE Comments According to a 2013 study Submitted by Hugh (not verified) on Sat, 2014/07/26 - 9:06am. According to a 2013 study published in Nature Communications titled The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States by Scott R. Loss, Tom Will & Peter P. Marra which was also presented in Audubon Magazines article of January 2013 titled Cats Pose an Even Bigger Threat to Birds than Previously Thought free-ranging domestic cats kill between 1.3 and 4.0 billion (with a B) birds in the lower 48 states annually. So the statement that windows are the biggest killer of birds after habitat loss is not accurate. Window strikes must be reduced and I hope everyone boycotts the Vikings if they go forward with the unsafe glass, but if you are going to reference killers of birds relative to habitat loss then you have to mention cats too. What do you mean by thin Submitted by Gianna (not verified) on Fri, 2014/07/25 - 9:26pm. What do you mean by thin film in #2? Is it common window tint? If yes, what is the minimum density recommended? What do you mean by thin Submitted by Gianna (not verified) on Fri, 2014/07/25 - 9:25pm. What do you mean by thin film in #2? Window tint? If yes, what is the minimum density that will work? Thanks. I have sun catches hanging on Submitted by Gale Smith (not verified) on Fri, 2014/07/25 - 8:18pm. I have sun catches hanging on by two big window. Since Ive had them they have avoided the windows.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 14:57:11 +0000
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