Saving Birds in Urban NYC with Bird-Safe Glass:

An Overview for the Unaware and Underinformed

by Elizabeth Jackson, M.A. Biology, Miami University

The scoop

Each year in the United States, up to one billion birds die by glass collision. As a source of mortality linked directly to human action, this cause of avian death is second only to encounters with domestic cats. Bird kills occur at buildings across the United States and around the globe. Scientifically speaking, what we know most about mortality patterns is derived from cities, like New York, where the vast majority of collision monitoring happens. Shiny glass exteriors and reflective surfaces saturate urban areas, creating a deathtrap for birds whose vision-to-brain signal cannot distinguish between their own reflection, that of vegetation, and open flyway.

The results?

Building collisions have contributed to more than 25% decline in the U.S. and Canadian breeding population since 1970.

In short, we are experiencing the decline of North American avifauna.

So, what is happening in New York City?

A pigeon flies beneath the World Trade Center, one of Manhattan's biggest contributors to bird deaths

NYC as a template

While the bird-strike problem is nation and worldwide, data collected and reported from a single big city such as New York can help put things in perspective for the average audience, acting as a key example of other dense urban areas.

Breaking down the specs

Over 355 bird species live in or migrate through NYC
An estimated 230,000 glass-related bird deaths occur per year in NYC
- The average number is heightened exponentially during migration season
The White-throated Sparrow is the most common victim in NYC, accounting for nearly 14% of all collision deaths (documented nearly 2x as frequently as other bird species)
It's not just a skyscraper issue: nearly 45% of collisions happen at low-rise buildings
City lights and reflective glass disorient thousands of birds each year, causing them to hit buildings or become exhausted from flying around in confusion, leaving them dead or open and vulnerable to NYC auto and foot traffic

What does this all mean?

In other words, why should we care?

In short, North America alone has lost 3 billion birds over the past 50 years. That's 60 million birds per year. In simpler terms, more than 1 in 4 birds have been lost in the past half-decade.

What this means for them:

Urban birds are facing population loss and heightened potential for species extinction, in large part due to building collision deaths, the number one killer of birds in cities. Monitoring data finds that declines will continue without targeted conservation efforts, triggering massive decline and additional endangered species. Extinction of the passenger pigeon, once the most abundant bird on the planet, is a poignant reminder that even the most common species can rapidly go extinct.

During migration season, a birdwatcher picks up hundreds of dead migratory birds in New York City, in just one morning:

What this means for us:

At these high rates, we risk avifaunal collapse and that of associated ecosystem integrity, function, and services.* What the average person may not realize is that birds play a critical role in our ecological community, even within urban environments: among other benefits, they are seed dispersers, pollinators, and pest controllers. Additionally, they are major contributors to economic health. One study, published in Science Journal in 2019, found that 47 million people in the U.S. spend $9.3 billion per year on bird-related activities. More simply, birds are excellent indicators of - and contributors to - environmental and ecological integrity, and economic health.

A red-tailed hawk leaves its nest in New York City, rat in tow

Most frequent collision victims in New York City, since 1997:

So, how do we fix it?

Finding a solution in bird-safe glass

New York City takes action:

In late 2019, bill Int 1482 was introduced in the New York City Council, requiring that all new construction and major renovations in the City's 5 boroughs utilize bird-safe glass. In late 2020, the bill officially went into action.

So, what is bird-safe glass exactly?

Bird-friendly glass is a specially-designed technology that alters the fabrication process of glass panels used in construction. 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, however, is its spacing. According to the NYC Audubon Society, "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 four inches wide."

Think of it as a giant piece of translucent graph paper...

The "dark side" of glass

The technology behind the glass

The legislation, explained

Above: Frit- patterned glass at the Jacob K. Javits Center breaks up reflections, making glass visible and safe for birds in flight

Right: The Javits Center as seen from 36th Street

So, is bird-safe glass effective?

The legislation is still fairly new, and today a skyscraper in New York City can take five years or more to complete. As such, data is still being collected on a wider scale. What we do know, however, is that buildings such as the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which underwent a massive renovation in 2014, replacing all standard glass panels with bird-safe glass, saw a decrease of bird-building collisions of over 90%.

Where can you find these bird-safe buildings in NYC?

As of April 2022, there are eight bird-safe buildings in New York City, with many more on the horizon, including existing buildings undergoing renovations.

- The Cooper Union Foundation Building
- Columbia University School of Nursing
- Statue of Liberty Museum
- IAC Headquarters
- NYTimes Building
- Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
- Brooklyn Botanical Gardens Visitor Center
- NYC Public Safety Awareness Center

Teaming-up with bird-safe glass advocates, engineers, and legislation

Who's helping spread the word?

In addition to more historic organizations such as NYC Audubon and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, younger operations are beginning to emerge, to help researchers understand the causes of bird mortality and fight for the conservation of bird species throughout the United States and beyond.

dBird

Click to submit a dead or injured bird report through dBird.org

dBird.org, an online crowd-sourcing data collection tool, provides a simple and useful database for users to help track bird deaths and injuries, by submitting location-specific data in real-time.

dBird interactive map

Jacob K. Javits Center Live 'Green Roof' Cam

Click to see the Javits Center's live video feed

The Javits Center, once the number one killer of birds in New York City, now boasts a green roof that is home to 29 bird species, complete with live-camera footage, available to viewers 24/7.

Architects join the cause

As major contributors to the urban built environment, more and more architecture firms are implementing the use of bird-safe glass and sustainable materials in their designs. Daniel Piselli, Senior Associate and Director of Sustainability at FXCollaborative, a New York-based architecture and design firm, shares his insight.

Daniel Piselli, AIA, LEED AP, CPHD

Senior Associate, Director of Sustainability FXCollaborative

Board Member, Bird Safe Glass Foundation

"It's our ethical responsibility as members of the building industry to address the role of glass in bird population decline."

Talking shop with bird-safe expert Dan Piselli

In April 2022, I sat down with my old coworker (and professional collaborator) Dan Piselli to discuss his work and efforts in urban bird conservation.

For the past two decades, Dan has worked to help save urban bird populations through the use and promotion of bird-safe glass in the architecture and design industries. In this conversation, you will hear a couple things you may not be familiar with:

1) The name "Bruce" is mentioned a few times. Dan is referring to our old boss, and his personal architecture and bird-safety mentor, Founding Principal of FXCollaborative, Bruce Fowle, who has spent over half a decade dedicated to using bird-safe and environmentally sound materials.

2) LEED is a ratings system widely used in the architecture industry, and stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Buildings can achieve various levels of LEED certification by adhering to certain criteria, such as using ethically sourced materials in the design and construction phases, and, you guessed it, incorporating bird-safe glass.

Listen to the podcast here: