The Dallas skyline will soon be safer for birds. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, located in Dallas, Texas, recently unveiled its plans to adopt bird-friendly glass while it is currently undergoing a $3.7 billion renovation.<\/p>\n
The changes come in response to advocacy by local groups including the Texas Conservation Alliance<\/a>, Environment Texas<\/a>, and Audubon Texas<\/a>, together with partners including American Bird Conservancy (ABC), and over 1,000 community members who voiced concerns to the Dallas City Council about the building\u2019s existing structure. The convention center has a skybridge and a facade of high, reflective glass known to cause harm to hundreds of birds journeying along one of North America\u2019s busiest migration corridors each spring and fall.<\/p>\n The newly redesigned convention center is slated to open in the coming years and will incorporate bird-safety features tested<\/a> and advocated for by ABC. This renovation comes as part of a larger ongoing effort to modernize downtown Dallas\u2019s event and tourism infrastructure, while also contributing to conservation goals to support its status as a Bird City<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since 2021, environmental volunteers with Lights Out Dallas!<\/a> have monitored bird-building collisions across multiple downtown locations. About 30 percent of documented collisions were found to occur at the convention center, caused by the building\u2019s large, reflective glass surfaces and its artificial lighting at night. Dallas is located along the Central Flyway<\/a>, a major migration route, making it a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds each year, including vulnerable species like the Painted Bunting<\/a> and White-throated Sparrow<\/a>.<\/p>\n Window collisions are a major source of bird mortality, killing more than 1 billion birds<\/a> in the United States alone each year. This is because birds generally cannot see or recognize glass. What they see is vegetation or the sky reflected in or visible through windows. They perceive it as habitat, and not recognizing the glass as a barrier, attempt to fly through. Fortunately, bird deaths from window collisions are largely preventable<\/a> through the use of bird-friendly design<\/a> and collective action to make buildings safer for birds.<\/p>\n Making new and existing buildings safer for birds<\/a> is possible and can be cost-neutral if bird-friendly design is considered from the outset of a project. For simple guidance, including a model ordinance and top-rated resources, check out ABC\u2019s Legislative Toolkit<\/a>.<\/p>\n