Using Specialty Glass for Bird Protection

The sound of a bird crashing into your glass window at full speed is sickening and unforgettable. Unfortunately, this is a widespread occurrence, especially where property developers install window panes that are not visible to the birds. When birds look at these glasses, they see the reflection of the sky, trees, and other buildings instead of glass. So they assume they are following a clear flight path.

This mistake can be fatal or leave the birds with life-altering injuries. Also, such glasses go the birds stunned and confused because they do not know where to fly. But you can avoid this mistake by installing specialty glass for bird protection. In this article, you will learn everything about bird-safe glass.

How to Make Your Glass Bird-Safe

To prevent birds from hitting your windows or glass facades, you have to adhere to specific rules of thumbs. The most important one is the two by 4 inches rule. This means that you have to leave two inches of vertical space or 4 inches of horizontal space untreated.

Studies have shown that visual markers help birds identify the surface of the glass from different angles when flying in various weather conditions. Here are some others important ways to make your windows safe for the birds.

Fritted Glass Windows

A fritted glass is any glass with closely spaced dots of opaque glass glued on the outer surface. This makes your windows highly visible to birds. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t see through the glass. The opaque glass is designed to allow you to see through it and enable light to go through.

Angled Glass

This means placing your glasses in a position that doesn’t allow them to reflect the sky, trees, and other nearby objects. For example, studies have shown that placing windows 20 degrees downward prevents the glass from reflecting the sky and trees.

UV-Reflective Glass

Research has proved that birds are susceptible to UV rays. Therefore, if your windows have UV-reflective glasses, they will be completely visible to birds. The good thing about UV-reflective glasses is that they are entirely transparent to humans.

Etched or Sandblasted Glasses

Etched glasses have patterns engraved or sandblasted onto them. These patterns make the glass more visible to birds. But this option is more effective if the etched part is not more than 4 inches wide or more than 2 inches high.

No matter the type of glass you use in your house or office, always remember that it is your responsibility to keep the birds safe.