Canberra's glass structures and bird strike

[Sue Lashko via Canberrabirds <>]

Within a week of a clear glass bus shelter being erected in Coulter Drive (a few years ago now), a male Superb Parrot tried to try straight through it - with fatal consequences.  These types of shelters have replaced the concrete ones in many places.

Sue

On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 at 17:59, David McDonald (Personal) <> wrote:

Greetings. Yesterday had a call from a resident of Kambah, who found my contact details at COG’s website.

 

She is a very environmentally-sensitive person, and asked if COG, or any other environmentally-focused organisations, are aware of an increasing number of deaths of birds caused by them flying into glass structures. She points out that it seems to have become increasingly fashionable to have all kinds of structures made out of clear glass, instancing glass railings on balconies and glass fencing around swimming pools.

 

Another example she provided is that one of Canberra's prominent private schools has recently installed a large, clear glass, bus shelter. At the foot of it she found one or more birds that had been killed there by flying into the glass. To their credit, it seems that the school has responded to her concerns by undertaking to frost the glass.

 

Not spending much time in Canberra nowadays, I'm not in a position to assess the extent to which clear glass structures are increasingly being constructed in the city. Nonetheless, if that is the case, perhaps there is scope for planning regulations to take into account the danger of bird deaths from flying into clear glass structures? Thoughts and experiences?

 

Best wishes – David

 

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David McDonald

Canberra Ornithologists Group email lists manager

1004 Norton Road, Wamboin, NSW 2620, Australia

Mobile: 0416 231 890 | Tel: (02) 6238 3706

E-mail: m("canberrabirds.org.au","coglists-owner");" target="_blank">  

 

 

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