Birds don’t see windows as solid barriers. They see a clear view of what’s on the other side or an unbroken reflection of nature. This often leads to collisions with windows. Eco Windows offers a variety of certified solutions that let you have both transparent and clearly visible architectural space and façade concepts, proven to reduce bird strikes.
UV pattern
Birds can see light in the ultraviolet spectrum, unlike us humans. Bird Friendly Glass uses a unique patterned UV-enhanced coating that disrupts the reflections, providing a visible marker to birds and preventing collisions. The technologically advanced patterned coating on Bird Friendly Glass uses the industry-accepted 2×4 rule, making the glass more visible to birds while remaining aesthetically appealing on both the interior and exterior surfaces.
Bird-friendly patterns
In contrast to transparent solutions, Bird Friendly Glass – Lines and Dots products, are clearly visible to humans and animals. The coating process complements the screen printing process used to date and is based on visible, metallic markings in the form of dots or lines. The chrome markings create maximum contrast in both reflection and transmission, providing highly effective bird protection on the outer glass surface.
Bird Friendly coatings have been developed to ensure bird safety glass façades, while keeping the protective coating practically invisible to the human eye. The inspiration for this textured coating came from nature – the delicate, spider-web-like appearance is barely noticeable, yet very effective.
The filigree, spider web-like appearance Bird Friendly Spider-web Glass is barely perceptible to the human eye. It has been tested and certified by the American Bird Conservancy in Pennsylvania/USA.
You can use Bird Friendly Glass in all windows and façades, just like any conventional insulating or laminated safety glass. You can also combine it with other functions like solar or thermal control in the insulating glass without any problems. Especially in the USA, where bird-friendly façade design has been made into law in a growing number of states for quite some time now.
Certification
Bird Friendly Glass has been tested as a laminated safety glass and insulating glass in combination with different thermal insulation and solar control layers in various flight tunnel testing systems. In the tests, a significant proportion of the birds avoided all of the above glass types. Apart from this, most Bird Friendly Glass types also meet the criteria for bird-friendly glazing of the American Bird Conservancy (assigned to the “Effective” category).
We have several suppliers of bird friendly glass, all with certified test results. Glass samples are available at our main showroom in Norwalk CT.
Glass with bird-safe and solar control coatings allows architects to design without worrying about the appearance or performance of the building envelope. There are several ways to make glass more visible to birds, and the final decision is usually based on the project’s aesthetic, cost, and bird safety criteria.
Birds collide with windows because they can’t perceive glass as a barrier. They see reflections of sky, trees, or habitat and fly directly into what appears to be open space. This is a massive conservation issue, with up to one billion birds dying annually from window strikes in the US alone. Eco Bird Friendly Glass solves this problem using a scientifically-designed UV-reflective coating or pattern that’s highly visible to birds but virtually invisible to humans. Birds can see in the ultraviolet spectrum, so they perceive these patterns as obstacles and avoid them. The technology has been tested and proven to reduce bird collisions by up to 90% while maintaining clear views for building occupants.
This is the beauty of modern bird-safe technology. It’s designed to be virtually invisible to the human eye while being highly visible to birds. Our Eco Bird Friendly Glass uses patterns or coatings that are either completely transparent to humans or so subtle they’re barely noticeable. From the inside looking out, you’ll maintain crystal-clear views. From the outside, the aesthetic impact is minimal. In most lighting conditions, you won’t notice any difference compared to regular glass. In certain angles or lighting, you might see a very faint pattern, similar to a light etch, but it doesn’t obstruct views or significantly change the appearance of your windows. Many of our clients are amazed that such effective bird protection can be essentially invisible.
Yes. Eco-Bird Friendly Glass is an available option that can be integrated into most of our new window and door systems. It is not a film or a retrofit, but rather one of the panes within the insulated glass unit (IGU). This means you don’t have to sacrifice performance; you can have a high-efficiency double or triple-pane window that is also bird-safe. Simply specify that you would like to include the Eco-Bird Friendly option when discussing your project with our team.
We offer several proven bird-safe glass technologies to suit different project needs and aesthetics:
UV Reflective Coatings: These create patterns visible in the UV spectrum that birds can see but humans cannot. Effectiveness: 85-90% collision reduction.
Acid-Etched Patterns: Subtle patterns etched into the glass surface that break up reflections. These are more visible to humans but still quite subtle. Effectiveness: 60-90% depending on pattern density.
Frit Patterns: Ceramic dots or lines fired onto the glass. Can be designed in various patterns and densities. Effectiveness: 70-90% reduction. All our bird-safe options meet or exceed the American Bird Conservancy’s standards for bird-friendly materials. The choice depends on your specific aesthetic preferences, building type, and local bird populations. Our team can help specify the optimal solution for your project.
Eco Bird Friendly Glass is ideal for both residential and commercial applications. For homes, it’s particularly valuable for large picture windows, glass railings, corner windows, or any glass near bird feeders or natural habitat. Many environmentally conscious homeowners choose it simply because it’s the right thing to do. For commercial projects, bird-safe glass is increasingly being mandated by local ordinances. Cities like San Francisco, New York, and Toronto have implemented bird-safe building requirements for new construction. Even where not required by code, many projects pursue LEED credits for bird collision deterrence, and corporate clients often specify bird-safe glass as part of their sustainability commitments.
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