The New York City Audubon Society has just released Bird-Safe Building Guidelines that can help to reduce the impact of buildings on migratory birds.
The 55-page manual is for “architects, landscape designers, engineers, glass technicians, developers, building managers, city, state, and federal officials, and the general public,” said Glenn Phillips, Executive Director of the society. “It reveals the magnitude of bird-collisions with glass and describes the conditions that cause these deadly collisions. Bird-safety in buildings is integral to the green sustainable building movement.
“In many regards, the strategies for reducing bird-collisions complement other sustainable site and building objectives,” the manual explains.
The guidelines “suggest strategies that complement the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating system. The guidelines also suggest ways to retrofit existing buildings,” Williams said.
Technical strategies given in the illustrated manual include: 1) Comprehensive Local Actions for Bird Safety; 2) Bird-Safe Site Planning and Landscape Design; 3) Bird-Safe Enhancements to the Building Envelope; 4) Modifications to Existing Buildings to Reduce Bird Collisions; 5) Bird-Safe Building Operations; and 6) Emerging Technologies.
An graphic indicates the different elevations which are most hazardous to different species of birds. The ground level and bottom few floors present the most danger.
Several case studies are presented which show proven methods to minimize bird-collisions with different types of buildings. Different methods of retro-fitting to reduce impacts at known danger points are several of the case studies presented.
A checklist of bird collision liabilities is a summary of conditions that can contribute to bird injury and mortality, including region, site, the extent of the glass façade, lighting and other features.
“In many regards, the strategies for reducing bird-collisions complement other sustainable site and building objectives,” the manual explains.
NYC Audubon’s Project Safe Flight was initiated in 1997. It monitors buildings in New York where bird collisions occur during migratory periods. Over 5000 dead and injured birds of more than 100 species have been documented thus far.
“It is estimated that 100 million birds are killed every year in the united states alone through collisions with buildings., second only to habitat loss as a cause of declining populations, some experts believe the number is even higher, perhaps as many as one billion killed annually." - NYC Audubon
A list of references is also included.
Another pertinent work on this topic are the Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines, released in mid-May by the city of Toronto.
This publication offers “a comprehensive list of voluntary options and strategies to help developers, building owners, managers, tenants, architects, planners, urban designers and residents reduce bird collisions.”
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