Saturday 14 May is celebrated the World Migratory Bird Day (World Migratory Bird Day), the annual awareness campaign that highlights the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats. The Day has a global reach and is a fundamental tool for raising awareness of institutions and public opinion on the environmental importance of migratory birds and the threats they face, including glass.
However, it should be immediately specified how the glass sector has applied to adopt different solutions for the protection of birds.
The problem
Established in 2006 by UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), the World Day of Migratory Birds focuses on the adventurous crossings made by elegant air travelers, without neglecting the dangers associated with the anthropogenic component.
So why talk about glass? This material poses a serious threat to migratory (and non-migratory) birds due to its properties of transparency e reflection. In fact, when the vegetation or the sky are reflected in the glass, the birds are unable to distinguish between the real element and its image on the glass.
Alarming figures
The US Fish & Wildlife Services certifies that in just one year they are counted between 365 million and 988 million dead birds due to accidental impact with a glass.
The skyscrapers with curtain walls, the soundproof barriers of the highways and other imposing glass structures contribute to increasing this phenomenon, which generates worrying naturalistic damage, especially during the migratory period, when the volume of birds increases by about 40%.
Clean windows: an undetected obstacle
The simplest way to decrease the number of impacts would be to reduce the cleaning of the glass; migratory birds are in fact able to recognize dirty windows as obstacles to their trajectories. In addition, dirty glass does not reflect light effectively, and birds are not so fooled by the mirror effect.
Visual indicators
There are obviously alternatives that also reward the aesthetic data. For years, in fact, figures of birds, silkscreened shapes or shapes have been applied to the glass that elude the transparency of the glass and allow the birds to intuit and avoid the obstacle. So let's talk more specifically about anti-collision glass for birds or bird-safe glass.
Technological developments
In this area, technology has made great strides, driven above all by laser printing. In fact, it allows to imprint small dots or even geometric shapes on the surface of the slabs, with an almost imperceptible result for the human eye, but vital for migratory birds. If, on the other hand, you want a more evident pattern or a finish integrated with the design of the structure, you can print logos or symbols as complex as they are visible.
Rules for the design
Regardless of the choice, the shorter the distance between these visual indicators the greater the safety for birds. This indication is well summarized by "2 × 4 rule", which dictates the spacing between the motifs. Research has shown that birds do not attempt to fly through horizontal spaces less than 2 inches high or through vertical spaces 4 inches or less wide.
It should also be emphasized that the indicators on the external surface, just presented, are for migratory birds easily identifiable from all angles and in different meteorological conditions; without compromising the luminous flux or the quantity of incoming heat, in the case of buildings.
Home remedies
But what solutions can we adopt in our homes and offices while waiting to invest in anti-collision glass?
Here is a list of possible remedies:
- place a bird feeder near the windows, it will slow down approaching birds;
- apply a thin film to the outside of the windows to make the glass visible for migratory birds;
- use curtains, they help reduce reflections;
- apply decals, sun catchers or strips of adhesive tape on the windows (follow the 2 × 4 rule mentioned above);
- place houseplants away from windows, as they could attract birds;
- install a mesh a few centimeters from the windows to reduce the impact.
And it celebrates World Migratory Bird Day with awareness, safeguarding that atavistic instinct to migration that belongs equally intimately to the human spirit.
Sources: worldmigratorybirdday.com, latecnicadelvetro.com, walkerglass.com, audubon.org, glassonline.com
