Bird Frit/Film
Prevent Birds From Hitting Windows
Did You Know? In Canada, Window Collisions Kill 16 to 42 Million Birds a Year
According To An Article From ‘Scientific American’ “Installing Bird Film Reduces The Amount of Bird Strikes Are Reduced by More Than 35%”
About Bird Frit/Film
Building with glass effectively blurs the boundaries between the inside and the outside environment. This design element not only helps elevate the overall aesthetics of a space but also enhances the experiences of the people who inhabit it. Yet, while humans can often utilize environmental cues to recognize glass as a physical barrier, there is a growing realization that many bird species cannot perceive this hazard. In the United States alone, researchers estimate that as many as two billion birds tragically die each year due to collisions with windows. Birds are not only a crucial part of our natural ecosystems but also play significant roles within the built environments where we live and thrive. This understanding has led to a growing interest and an increase in regulations surrounding glass design, which aim to meet a project’s aesthetic, safety, and performance requirements while also contributing to the protection of our avian wildlife.
Why Do Birds Collide With Glass Windows?
Glass is not a natural material, so birds do not inherently understand that the reflections of trees or the vast sky presented on its surface are not real, tangible objects. In a similar manner, if birds perceive the sky or indoor plants through glass, they instinctively try to access that enticing environment and often fail to recognize that there is a transparent barrier standing in their way. Even dark glass, or a window leading into a dark room, can appear to birds as a tunnel or an inviting hole through which they mistakenly believe they can fly. This misconception can unfortunately lead to collision incidents, highlighting the need for awareness of the hazards glass can impose on wildlife.
Benefits of Bird Frit/Film
Collision Deterrence: Adding visual contrast to the glass through various methods creates a prominent and visible markers to birds, effectively helping them detect the glass as a physical barrier and thus encouraging them to avoid it. The overall effectiveness of this solution significantly depends on the specific technology used as well as the size and spacing of the pattern elements incorporated into the design. Additionally, the building’s surroundings, the varying lighting conditions, and the outside reflectivity of the glazing play crucial roles in determining the overall effectiveness of this protective measure.
Energy Efficiency: Bird Frit/Film can be combined with other low solar heat gain films to provide thermal insulation and solar control properties. These films can help maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building by reducing the amount of solar energy that enters through the glazing in the summer, or of heat escaping it during the winter. Additionally, this type of film has a .78 Solar heat gain coefficient.
Environmental Stewardship: Birds play a critical role in ecosystems and economies around the world, influencing numerous aspects of our environment and daily lives. Between providing a vital food source, controlling harmful pests, enriching soil fertility, and offering various other valuable contributions, their impact on overall quality of life is immense and far-reaching. However, with many bird populations facing significant declines, it becomes all the more serious to address the urgent problem of bird-window collisions, which pose a substantial threat to their survival.
