DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-087-0-0431

WHY IS GLASS DANGEROUS FOR BIRDS

Pavla Kotásková¹, Jitka Fialová¹

¹ Department of Landscape Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno, Czechia

Thanks to technological advances, glass is now used more extensively in the construction industry. Large glazed surfaces are being incorporated into the building envelopes of structures such as recreational facilities and private vacation homes. Glass is also used for noise barriers, bus shelters, and bike racks, as well as for auxiliary structures such as balcony railings. Virtually all glass surfaces can be dangerous to birds; it depends greatly on their surface treatment and, above all, their location. Glass also reflects its immediate surroundings, including trees, thereby creating a fictional environment that birds attempt to enter. The aim of this article is to provide a basic introduction to the issue of bird collisions with glass surfaces. The article will focus on identifying the locations and structures where collisions most frequently occur. Subsequently, options for prevention or additional measures will be presented.

Klíčová slova: bird collisions with glass surfaces, glass surface planning, glass reflectivity, transparency

stránky: 431-435, Publikováno: 2026, online: 2026