The Latest in Bird-Safe Glass Legislation
AviProtek® E glass by Walker Glass, which combines bird-safe, acid-etched patterns and Solarban® solar control low-e coatings, recently received USGLASS magazine’s 2019 Green Award. The recognition could not be more timely.
While glass is widely acknowledged as one of the most economic, versatile and beautiful building materials, the fact is millions of birds are killed and injured each year flying into windows, curtainwalls and facades featuring clear and reflective glass.
This has led to a surge in legislation for bird-safe building materials in the U.S. and around the world, a development that Vitro Glass gladly supports.
What Makes Glass Bird-Safe?
The Bird-Friendly Building Design Book published by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) may be the most widely recognized publication on the topic of bird-safe glass, but the organization is only one of several advocating for greater bird-safety in the built environment.
Bird-safe glass is typically characterized by visual markers which may be applied using methods such as acid-etching patterns onto the glass surface. Guidelines issued by ABC and similar organizations detail the types and spacing of such markers and provide direction on where on a building’s surface those markers should be placed.
The most common guideline is the “2x4” rule, developed in the early 1990s by Dr. Daniel Klem, a globally recognized ornithologist and bird-safety expert. It is based on his research, which shows that most birds will not attempt to fly into any space they detect as being less than 2 inches high and 4 inches wide. Walker Glass etches decorative markers in these dimensions on bird-safe glass to provide a visual deterrent to birds, together with visual appeal for architects, designers and building occupants.
Estimates suggest that the 2x4 rule, which also has become the primary standard in bird-safe glass legislation, can prevent up to 90% of bird-glass collisions; however, some building codes are adopting an even more stringent 2x2 rule, including the Standards Council of Canada (CSA) A460 bird-friendly building design standard. Walker Glass offers multiple AviProtek glass patterns that fulfill both guidelines.
New Legislation
Perhaps the most widely recognized U.S. legislation related to bird-safe building materials is the Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2019 (H.R. 919). This federal bill, which has received substantial bipartisan support, would require all public buildings to incorporate bird-safe building materials and architecture.
Momentum for bird-safety legislation also is strong on the municipal level. Not only have prescriptive methods for bird-safe building design and construction, such as the 2x4 rule, been established in major cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, California and Portland, Oregon, different standards serving the same purpose also are expected to be adopted soon in New York and Washington, D.C. Smaller cities, including Oakland, Mountain View and Richmond, California, already have ratified such legislation.
Once H.R. 919 is enacted, it will join a list of existing bird-safe standards that have been incorporated in the following treaties, laws and ordinances in recent years:
- Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), U.S.
- Endangered Species Act (ESA), U.S.
- Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA), Canada
- Species at Rise Act (SARA), Canada
- Bird Directive of the European Commission, European Union
Whether or not you’re a bird lover, there no denying the role the glass industry is actively pursuing in protecting the world’s avian population. At Vitro Glass, we are proud of the relationship we’ve maintained with Walker Glass, which has been a pioneer in the development of bird-safe glass for almost a decade. As the demand for these products and sustainable design continue to grow, our two companies stand ready to offer you the industry’s best solutions for both.
For More Information
Vitro Glass will continue to provide updates on bird-safe glass legislation and how it might impact the regions you serve. If you want to learn more about the range of decorative bird-safe glass options available to you as a member of the Vitro Certified™ Network, please contact your Vitro Glass rep or visit the Vitro Glass and Walker Glass websites.
