Bird-Friendly Glass
Science Is Finally Making Glass That Birds Won’t Fly Into
Birds flying into window panes might be the stuff of cartoon comic fodder, but the reality is bleak: Hundreds of millions of birds die from flying into transparent glass every year. Thankfully, science is finally putting a stop to it.
A recent New York Times article gives us a glimpse into the fascinating research being done to save these birds lives. One example of which is the shady, underground tunnel below the Bronx Zoo that’s being used as a live testing ground/labyrinth for the tech that will save our flying friends.
You can’t really blame the birds for not being keen to fly; somewhere between 355 million and 988 million birds die every year from crashing into buildings—deaths that could very well be avoided. One type of new glass called Ornilux has proved particularly effective. Each pane is covered in a patterned, ultraviolet reflective coating that, while almost invisible to humans, shows up loud and clear to any passing birds.
Of course, any windows that need lines or visual cues to make themselves bird-friendly aren’t exactly beloved by designers and architects.
But if it means saving that many birds, we can stand the occasional eyesore.
Source: Ashley Feinberg / gizmondo