It has been well documented that artificial light at night (ALAN) can disorient birds and increase bird collisions with buildings, especially windows. The reflectance of windows can lead birds to not realize that windows are solid objects to be avoided. New window film developed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) can prevent deadly bird-window collisions.

Image: FacilitiesNet.com

Every year nearly one billion birds collide with glass in the United States. Since 1970, an estimated three billion birds have vanished from the continent’s total population, and collisions are a significant contributor to this decline. Glass windows are dangerous to birds because they reflect their surrounding environment – like forest, clouds or sky.

A new adhesive window film creates a pattern of small dots on windows, and birds recognize them as barriers and steer clear.

Factors that can influence the rate of bird collisions include: the number of windows, lighting practices at night (lights disorient birds), and the building’s surrounding habitat. You can read more about the USFWS bird collision prevention program here.

Image: Mourning Dove dander print left on a window after a collision. Jeanne Donaldson/Portland Audubon

Image: Maintenance professionals install Feather Friendly material at the Northeast Regional USFWS Office in Hadley, MA. Leah Riley/USFWS

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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