Bird Safety

Glass kills birds in large numbers, and the response is moving from voluntary practice into building regulation across the Chicago area and Illinois. These articles cover both sides of that: what the rules require and where they apply, and what can practically be done to glass that is already installed.

Regulation in this area is changing, so anything we publish about it is dated, tied to the official record rather than news coverage, and updated when the record changes. We do not characterize proposed rules as settled or take a position on whether they should pass.

On the practical side, retrofit bird collision film is applied to the exterior of the glass, uses a visible pattern at a spacing birds reliably perceive, and works on some parts of a facade far better than others. Articles here cover how patterns and spacing are evaluated, how to decide which elevations and heights actually need treatment, what access a multi story exterior application requires, and how film holds up outdoors in a Chicago climate.

Written for architects, developers, owners, campus and municipal facilities teams, and general contractors working on covered projects.