How Vitro Architectural Glass & Walker Glass are saving birds’ lives

Each year, more than 600 million birds die in the United States due to collisions with glass. Vitro Architectural Glass and alliance partner, Walker Glass, introduce the AviProtek® bird-friendly glass.An Editors’ Choice selection in the Facades category in Architectural Record magazine’s Best of 2015, AviProtek is an advanced architectural glass that unites bird-friendly, acid-etched patterns by Walker Textures® glass with a range of Solarban® high performance solar control low-e glasses developed by Vitro.Developed by bird researchers, these acid-etched patterns are easy for birds to see while in flight. To AviProtek®, Solarban® 60 and Solarban® 70XL glasses by Vitro bring a clear glass aesthetic while blocking solar heat and transmitting high levels of natural daylight. AviProtek patterns on the first (exterior) surface of windows and architectural glass are proven to reduce bird injury and mortality by providing contrasting patterns that birds can see while in flight.Marc Deschamps, business development manager, Walker Glass, said AviProtek patterns developed by Walker Glass are based on research conducted by the American Bird Conservancy. Studies show that birds collide with glass because its transparency, reflectivity or darkness can create the illusion of safe passage or access to water, plants or perching locations, he said. Our bird-safe glass helps eliminate such illusions by creating detectible visual patterns, developed by bird-safety researchers, which signal a barrier is present.Walker Textures® is just one of Vitro Architectural Glass’s Specialty Glass and Alliance Partners, that combine brilliantly with Starphire Ultra-Clear™ glass by Vitro.