Web-inspired window glazing could reduce bird strikes

Bird strikes on windows are said to be among the most serious anthropogenic causes of avian mortality and in the US alone more than 100 million birds are thought to die as a result of striking windows.

This figure can be attributed to the fact that, for birds, windows are not seen as obstacles, nor do they appear to reflect a habitat behind them.

Birds are able to see light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, and in the natural world Orb Weaver spiders incorporate UV reflective strands of silk in their webs so birds will not fly through them.

Like the Orb Weaver web, the Ornilux glazing has lines coated onto the glass that are barely perceptible to humans but reflect the UV light, making the window visible to birds.

Dave Wyatt, head of the Arnold Group’s UK operations, told The Engineer via email that Ornilux glass is available in two insulating glass types: with low-emissivity (low-E) coating or solar control coating for windows and facades; and a triple-laminated glass type for outside applications such as guard rails and glass walls.