Effective bird protection in glass architecture

Bird protection is a concern of ours.....with screenprints and their effectiveness for bird recognition. ECKELT has been working with the WUA since 1998 to produce glass sheets with screenprinting for testing with birds. New test requirements have caused us – through systemisation of special colours and patterns – to develop the product 4BIRD. ECKELT designed the internationally protected 4BIRD designs for maximum transparency. These have been coordinated with the Vienna Environmental Agency (WUA) [>] as well as renowned Ornithologist from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, to achieve the required protective measures to avoid bird impact.

4BIRD is a permanent marking on fully tempered safety glass with tested designs and harmonised colours on SECURIT-H. The known characteristics of Tempered Safety Glass allow the use in any construction application and with a combination into a laminated safety glass it also provides safety against falling. Achieving up maximum transparency – up to 94 % of the glass surface can remain transparent but still retain their maximum effectiveness. All designs fulfil Category A and are therefore “very effective”. Discreet but effective, permanent and economical.

Bird protection is our responsibility

Every year, hundreds of millions of birds die in Europe as a result of collision with transparent glass. Environmental protectionists and ornithologists are concerned that it is a serious problem of nature conservation and on the population dynamic of bids.

A significant factor is the increased amount of construction over the last decades, which has made a drastic impact on the activity spaces of birds. The often used bird of prey stickers have proven to be completely ineffective and cannot prevent bird collision.

Since humans and birds share the same space, it is our responsibility to confront this issue.

Effective protection is standardised

In October 2010 - Bird protection glass, proof of effectiveness - with the ONR 191040 has for the first time been published in a standard which determines the measures necessary for effective bird protection.

In recent years, many products have been offered which claim to reduce bird impact on glass surfaces, so it was high time that the term "bird protection glass" was clearly defined.Leading ornithologists from Germany who have been concerned about the development of measures for avoidance of bird impact on glass surfaces, have agreed on strict criteria. Only when in detailed description of test reports do 90 of 100 bids recognise the obstacle is it permitted to use the term "Bird protection glass in accordance with ONR 191040".