Best Practices for a Bird-Friendly Building
(modified from City of Toronto's rating system)
1. Glass Treatment
| Extent of glass treatment applications that will block a bird's view of the interior of a building: |
| MINIMUM |
Treat first ten (10) feet of these high danger areas:
- Lobbies/atriums with interior lighting at night/early morning hours
- Lobbies/atriums with interior greenery that is visible from the outside
- Glass that is proximal to external greenery
- Areas that trap birds between two or three sides of glass/windows such as an alley, alcove, corner of a building, area above a skylight/atrium, etc.
- Glass"passageways" that appear to be areas that birds could "fly through" to open vegetation/open space on either side
|
| DESIRED |
Treat all areas of glass up to ten (10) feet above grade
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
Treat all glass for entire building
|
| Type of glass treatment/design: |
| MINIMUM |
During designated spring and fall migration season implement temporary treatment of transparent glass with decals, paints, films at a density pattern of three inches or less apart; strategies to mute reflections with external screening/netting, banners, paints, films
|
| DESIRED |
Permanent treatment of transparent glass with UV coatings/films or frosted/fritted patterns using a density pattern of three inches or less apart; strategies to mute reflections such as angled glass, external screening/netting or awnings
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
Innovation to eliminate all transparency or reflectivity — bird-safe glass!
|
2. Exterior Lighting
| MINIMUM |
Extinguish or dim display lighting, including spotlighting, decorative, advertising and rooftop lighting, on buildings over forty (40) stories from 11:00 p.m. until sunrise during designated spring and fall migration periods
|
| DESIRED |
Install efficient shield lighting for all exterior lighting fixtures, including decorative, advertising, and security lighting. Light focused downward, eliminating direct upward light and reducing spill light
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
Eliminate display lighting, including spotlighting, decorative, advertising, and rooftop lighting
|
3. Building Operations
| Interior greenery: |
| MINIMUM |
Internal greenery located at least ten (10) feet away from glass without treatment
|
| DESIRED |
All internal greenery that could be visible from outside shielded or removed during designated spring and fall migration season
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
No interior greenery that could be visible from outside or glass treated with density pattern of less than three (3) inches apart to shield view of interior greenery
|
| Interior lighting (particularly for ground level lobby areas): |
| MINIMUM |
Motion sensor lighting or light timers in linkways, walkways, and corridors; "zone capable" interior lighting system
|
| DESIRED |
Minimize total amount of interior lighting using task lighting, blinds, light switches, and motion sensor lights in individual offices; cleaning operations during daylight hours
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
Eliminate ground level lobby lighting providing only lighting directed to workstations and security areas
|
4. Site Design
| MINIMUM |
Drain any pools/fountains that are directly below a set of windows/glass surfaces during migration season. Ground level ventilation grates with a porosity of less than 1 inch x 1 inch
|
| DESIRED |
All ventilation opening grates proximal to windows capped
|
| OPTIMAL/BEST PRACTICE |
No pools, fountains, or ground level ventilation grates within five (5) feet of windows/glass surfaces
|
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors 08/12
