Best Practices for a Bird-Friendly Building
For new construction, additions and renovated portions of building facades:
1. Glass Treatment
Objective is to provide visual cues or physical barriers between birds and transparent or reflecitve glass. | |
---|---|
The following areas shall have a Bird Collision Threat Rating (BCTR) of fifteen (15) or less, as defined by the most current American Bird Conservancy Bird Collision Deterrence ratings:
|
|
2. Exterior Lighting
Year-round or during migration seasons March 15 to June 15 and August 15 to November 15:
|
3. Building Operations
Interior greenery: | |
---|---|
MINIMUM | All Internal greenery that could be visible from outside shielded from view or removed during spring and fall migration |
OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE | No interior greenery that could be visible from outside of glass treated with density pattern of less than two (2) inches apart or shades drawn to shield view of interior greenery year-round |
Interior lighting | |
---|---|
MINIMUM | Interior lighting sensor controls must be in accordance with the IEC Code. Occupant sensor lighting must be maximimzes. All other interior lighting must have time-switch controls with manual overrides allowing the reduction of lighting load by at least fifty persent. The use of task of lighting to accommodate a limited number of users after hours should be maxamized.
All interior lobby/ground flor lighting (including but not limited to: display lights, signage, video screens) shall be down-sheilded, dimmed, extinguished or blocked from egress to the exterior between 3 am to 7 am during spring and fall migration. Cleaning operations that would require interior lighting shall be scheduled outside the hours of 3 am to 7am during spring and fall migration |
OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE | Year-round application of the above interior lighting requirements |
4. Exterior features:
Exterior pools and fountains shall not be located closer than twenty (20) feet to glass facade areas. Existing exterior pools and fountains less than twenty (20) feet from glass facade areas will be drained during migration seasons March 15 to June 15 and August 15 to November 15. Ventilation grates within twenty (20) feet of glass facades shall have openings such that a 3/4-inch diameter sphere cannot pass through any opening. |
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors