Those environmentally friendly "green buildings" have been cropping up throughout the country in what is seen, for the most part, as a positive development. But there might be a downside for our fine feathered friends.
Ornithologists say millions of birds die each year through collisions with glass. And, since these environmentally friendly buildings are largely glass structures, the buildings have been described as a slaughterhouse for birds.
Kerry Cordray with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, says DNR’s recently constructed "green building" in Jefferson City has seen its share of bird deaths … but he doesn’t blame it solely on the building. He says it so happens that many of these buildings are constructed in areas where there are many trees … and birds.
The good news is that steps have been taken to deal with the concern. Cordray says leaf-looking decals have been installed on the windows of the Lewis and Clark Office Building, indicating to birds that the glass is a hard surface. He says the number of bird deaths at that building has dropped from an estimated 100 a year down to about 30 a year.