By Gabriel Durham, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager
This summer, Memorial City Plaza became the first multi-story major commercial building in Houston to work with Houston Audubon to install window film to prevent bird collisions! This accomplishment is a big step forward in making Houston more Bird-Friendly and is a testament to how small connections can lead to great change.
It all started when a property manager with MetroNational connected with Houston Audubon on one of our birding bus tours. The property manager, Patti, just happened to sit next to a Houston Audubon staff member. Patti recounted how certain parts of their building were experiencing bird collisions during spring and fall migration and how she wanted to find ways to prevent this from happening. This concern led her to Houston Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Communities team, who quickly went to tour the space and offer recommendations.
The key issue identified was that the building exterior was made primarily of highly reflective glass, or “glazing”. Birds perceive reflections of foliage and sky as real and, as a result, fly full speed towards them in an attempt to reach habitat or open sky. This issue is one of major concern, as an estimated one billion birds die annually from collisions with glass. Once the issue was identified, Patti and MetroNational began a trial phase to find the best solution for their property and the birds.
First, test products were ordered and installed side-by-side for comparison (see photo below). Each product was judged by its visual impact, lifespan, cost, and effectiveness in preventing collisions. This is an important step, as there are many collision solutions, and diverse strategies can be applied to match any building’s particular needs.
After testing the products, a clear dot pattern window film was chosen. Essentially, anything that can break up the reflections of the glass, spaced in two-inch intervals, will deter a bird from trying to fly “through” the window. This product creates a pattern that birds perceive as a web or net, which causes them to pull upward to avoid the web, thus avoiding the window. A similar strategy is now a matter of building code in New York City, illustrating the growing industry attention to remedying this vital issue.
With the product selected, a pilot program was initiated to install the film on the second story windows facing an inner courtyard where many of the collisions were occurring. As this is the location of the property management office, the property management team became the test subjects to evaluate the impact of the window film on outdoor views. They are happy to report that it has not impeded the view of the beautiful trees and outdoor seating areas. The property management team will also be monitoring the number of collisions at the pilot site and analyzing the product’s effectiveness as they consider applying the treatment to other collision hotspots on the property. In the photos below, one can see just how minimal of an impact these dots have on the building’s appearance and views while still serving their function.
Artificial lights are also a major factor contributing to bird collisions with buildings. To ensure the pilot program is as successful as possible, Memorial City Plaza has also pledged to go “Lights Out for Birds” by turning off non-essential lights between 11pm and 6am during migration periods. These combined strategies are considered the most effective in preventing collisions, and Houston Audubon lauds MetroNational’s commitment and efforts to do all they can to make this property more Bird-Friendly!
If you are interested in making the space around you more bird-friendly, whether it is an apartment, ranch, or multi-story commercial property, please follow MetroNational’s example and reach out to Houston Audubon. You can also find lots of resources about Bird-Friendly spaces, including bird-friendly building design, at birdfriendlyhouston.org.
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