Nearly one billion birds die from collisions with glass buildings every year, but now scientists have finally developed glass panels with vertical stripes that birds can see. Ornilux panels are particularly effective thanks to their patterned, ultraviolet reflective coating. Albeit invisible to humans, birds can see the panels as they fly by and are therefore less likely to fly into them.
Millions of birds fly into transparent glass every year and most of us have at one point witnessed it. Between 355 million and 988 million birds crash into building every year. A fascinating research project taking place in an underground tunnel below the Bronx Zoo has resulted in a material that could prevent such events in the future. The tunnel was used as a live testing ground for the technology that could help save the feathered creatures.
Ornilux’s bird-friendly glass material is covered in a thin patterned layer visible only to birds. These panels work best at four inches apart, according to Mr. William Haffey, an ecology student at Fordham University and one of the researchers involved with the testing process. He estimated that horizontal lines need to be spaced every two inches.
While this is great news that could prevent future bird collisions from escalating, sadly we’d have to replace glass panels on all of the world’s existing buildings in order to alleviate the current problem. Does anybody have any other ideas?
Lead image of bird and glass