Bird Friendly Design

UBC has developed Bird Friendly Design Guidelines for Buildings to provide cost effective solutions that can be used by designers and builders to help reduce bird collisions on campus.

Each year, about 10,000 birds die at UBC by colliding with clear and reflective glass. Windows reflect mirror images of trees and other vegetation and create a particular hazard for birds. 

Birds are important because they provide ecosystem services in the form of pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. In addition, the high visibility and audibility of birds creates a valuable experiential link between people and local wildlife in urban settings. 

UBC has developed Bird Friendly Design Guidelines for Buildings as part of the Green Building Action Plan. 

Download UBC Bird Friendly Design Guidelines for Buildings

Bird Friendly Building Design Requirements

New buildings and major retrofits are required to be bird-friendly, following one of four tiered requirements (download the requirements here). 

Bird Friendly Resources

  1. Find a cardboard box or an opaque, un-waxed paper bag.
  2. If you are using a cardboard box, poke small air holes so the bird can breathe. Use clean tissues or paper towels, rolled into a donut shape, as a perch for the bird to sit upright.
  3. Gently place the bird inside the box or bag and close it. Do not feed the bird or give it water. Handle the bird as little as possible as this will minimize stress and allow them to recuperate.
  4. Keep the box in a quiet, dark, and warm place for at least an hour.
  5. After one hour, you may hear fluttering inside the box or bag. Take the bird to a park or forest far away from windows and buildings.
  6. Slowly open the bag or box and let the bird fly out. Hooray! You have just saved a life! Don’t forget to wash your hands after handling wildlife.
  7. If the bird remains unresponsive after an hour, contact Building Operations at 604-822-2173 or servicecentre.buildingops@ubc.ca.

For more information on rescuing injured birds, see BirdSafe or the BC Wildlife Rescue Association.

bird friendly art
Bird Friendly Window Art
UBC PhD student Lora Zosia Moon designed a window application as part of a competition through the SEEDS Sustainability Program. The aim of the project was to prevent collisions and bring attention to bird biodiversity on campus.
https://sustain.ubc.ca/stories/bird-friendly-art-saves-feathered-lives
SEEDS Project
UBC Bird Backgrounder (SEEDS)
Since 2014, students have monitored bird strikes, assessed species richness, evaluated the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and made recommendations for bird-friendly policies. Download the SEEDS research project to learn more.
https://planning.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/2024-07/UBC-Bird-Backgrounder_CCP-website_July-2024.pdf