The Future of Bird Safe Architecture is Clear...

Researchers estimate that up to one billion birds are killed each year in North America due to collisions with glass on buildings, making bird window strikes the second greatest threat to avian mortality next to habitat destruction. It is the reflective and transparent characteristics of glass that create a dangerous situation for birds. They see sky and landscape reflected by or on the other side of a window; the glass is not perceived as a barrier. To prevent these collisions, glass must be made visible to birds.

With the understanding that birds are able to see light in the ultraviolet spectrum, ARNOLD GLAS has developed ORNILUX Bird Protection Glass. The glass has a patterned, UV reflective coating making it visible to birds while remaining virtually transparent to the human eye.

ORNILUX: The transparent solution

ORNILUX has been tested in cooperation with the American Bird Conservancy resulting in a significant reduction of bird strikes compared to standard double-glazing.

As a multi-functional glass, ORNILUX is the only clear glass solution to bird collisions, and is available as laminated glass or a double-glazed insulated unit with a low-E or solar control coating, offering energy efficiency and bird strike protection.

ORNILUX offers a unique and innovative bird-friendly glazing solution—maintaining the aesthetic transparency of glass while creating visual markers alerting birds to a barrier. First introduced in Europe in 2006, ORNILUX is now available in North America.

Tested by American Bird Conservancy

Tunnel score range: 70 - 78

International Migratory Bird Day

Get involved with International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) this year! We did. Ornilux is an official IMBD sponsor providing support for development of education materials and outreach to organizations offering bird conservation education. Read more….

ORNILUX in the News

Featured in NPR two-part report:

A Clear And Present Danger: How Glass Kills Birds

Building For Birds: Architects Aim For Safer Skies

ABC Bird-Friendly Building Design

"I am very pleased to announce the debut of ABC’s new publication, Bird-friendly Building Design. It is a comprehensive view of the issue, intended to be accessible to interested individuals, as well as professionals such as architects and contractors."

Dr. Christine Sheppard, Bird Collisions Campaign Manager

American Bird Conservancy

USGBC LEED Pilot Credit 55: Bird Collision Deterrence.

Architects, designers, developers, and building owners pursuing LEED certification can earn credit for incorporating design strategies that reduce bird collisions. Read more …