American Bird Conservancy (ABC), working with Washington College in Maryland, says it has doubled its capacity to test and rate glass and other materials for their ability to deter bird collisions. “The move will help ABC meet high demand for testing from glass manufacturers—a vital component of the organization’s work to reduce the threat of window collisions for birds,” according to a news release.
A glass testing tunnel at Washington College’s Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory in Chestertown, Maryland began operations last fall. The new tunnel is one of just two facilities in North America that can test glass and issue a “bird-friendly” rating, called a Material Threat Factor.
This rating system makes it easier for governments to enact bird-friendly policies and for architects to design buildings that are safer for birds. Windows are among the deadliest threats that migratory birds meet on their journeys, killing up to a billion in the U.S. each year.
Glass can be made safer for birds by adding visible markers that birds can see. “The challenge is finding a balance between human aesthetic preferences and birds’ need for a visual hint that glass is solid—a challenge made more difficult because humans’ forward vision is superior to that of most birds,” ABC says. “The good news is that most bird-friendly patterns are barely noticeable to people.”
Related Stories
| Dec 22, 2011
Federal home weatherization program has impacted 6.8 million homes
More than 6.8 million homes have been weatherized using federal, state, utility, and other funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Dec 15, 2011
Dayton, Ohio schools saving $2.6 million annually by building to LEED
On average, green schools save about $100,000 a year on operating costs, including energy and water savings.
| Dec 15, 2011
Building to LEED standards can pose new risks for construction workers
Workers on these projects suffer a 24% increase in falls to lower levels during roof work, which researchers attributed to the installation of solar panels, and a few other risks.
| Dec 15, 2011
NRDC charges Maine governor with weakening green wood requirement
The FSC program is administered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and requires wood to be harvested in a sustainable way.
| Dec 15, 2011
Post-tornado, Tuscaloosa seeks to create walkable urban, retail areas
Block sizes initially were limited to a maximum perimeter of 1,750 feet, with no side of the block being longer than 500 feet.
| Dec 15, 2011
Allentown, Pa. city council asked to repeal union-friendly law
The mayor of Allentown, Pa. asked the City Council to repeal a year-old ordinance that forces contractors to hire union workers for large city projects funded with state and federal dollars.
| Dec 13, 2011
LEED-EB outpaces LEED for new construction
The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED certifications for existing buildings standard is outpacing LEED for new buildings for the first time.
| Dec 1, 2011
OSHA releases new construction safety videos
OSHA released new safety videos to offer both employers and workers brief, easy-to-understand education about construction safety.
| Nov 23, 2011
Obama signs repeal of 3% withholding on government contracts
President Obama signed a bill that repeals a law requiring governments to withhold 3% of payments over $10,000 to contractors.
| Nov 18, 2011
AGC offers webinar on Davis-Bacon compliance
Webinar to be held in two sessions, Dec. 7 and 8 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST.
