The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to reduce the amount of glass used for federal buildings in a bid to protect birds from death by collision.
The bill, named Bird-Safe Buildings Act, passed on 1 July as part of the wider Moving Forward Act or H R 2 and it will now be introduced in the Senate. If passed by a two-thirds majority it will become law.
Birds, often migratory ones, fly into the reflective facades of buildings and almost one billion are killed annually from collisions in the US, according to a study by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
At night, these migratory birds are also attracted to the glowing lights inside during nocturnal flight.
Bill would affect federal buildings
The proposed bill calls instead for bird-friendly materials to be used for new federal buildings, which include local offices and government departments. It would also affect public structures being renovated when more than half of the facade is changed. Minimising the amount glass on lower levels and preventing transparent passageways and corners are among the bird-safe modifications in the legislation.

"At least 90 per cent of the exposed facade material from ground level to 40 feet (12 metres) shall not be composed of glass or shall be composed of glass that employs a combination of bird-safe modifications," it states.
"At least 60 per cent of the exposed facade material above 40 feet (12 metres) shall meet a modified glass standard."
The glass standards would a...