Is this glass terminal for birds?

Whenever I drive past the new airport terminal in Crown Point, the largely glass edifice looks bigger than it did the day before.

Being an advocate for animals, and often viewing or hearing the surrounding world through their eyes or ears, I wonder about the fatal impact the expansive glass frontage will have on birds.

Birds crash into glass when they cannot see it as a solid barrier. Owing to its transparency and reflective nature, they perceive the mirrored trees and sky as being real. If there are plants inside the building, they may also see those as part of the environment.

When the airport terminal construction began, and I saw a projected image of it on a billboard erected near the site, I was struck by the amount of glass illustrated.

I managed to get a phone contact for a project engineer and asked about the kind of glass that would be used. Would it be bird-friendly?

At the time the person could not answer the question, and the promised follow-up call never came.

Around then, while riding through the Cromstain area (at a time when some of the now-demolished homes were still standing) I noted the vast glass frontage of the Meteorological Services Department building.

I stopped to ask the guard at the gate if lots of birds die as a result of the huge glass windows.
He told me yes, many dead birds are found daily around the building, and mentioned that the organisation was interested in finding solutions for the recurring problem. This encounter led to my meeting with a supervisor, to discuss possibilities. I found it heartening that they were sufficiently concerned to seek ways in which to divert birds from a glassy demise.

Information from a birding expert friend in the US (who visits Tobago annually for birding) provided possible answers, but with the advent of covid19, further conversations on the matter were shelved and never revived.

Bird-friendly glass uses patterns that are visible to birds but not humans.

One such option is made available by UV- patterned glass. The American Bird Conservancy site features a range of ultraviolet-patterned glass designs. While it is a viable solution, it is not entirely foolproof, as (according to the site): “not all birds can see ultraviolet, and there is little or no UV early in the morning and on overcast days.”

Fritted glass has closely spaced opaque dots fused to the outside of the glass. These are visible to birds, but still allow humans to see clearly through from inside.

Sandblasted glass can also be effective, but only if the areas not bearing a pattern are less than four by two inches (known as the two-by-four rule).

At the Walker Glass site, the AviProtek brand of glass is featured. The name says it all – avian protection. Such sites can provide useful information for those interested in bird-safe glass for construction.

Another way of making glass bird-safe involves using windows that are angled down by 20 degrees so they do not reflect the surrounding environment.

Were any of the above incorporated in the new terminal’s design?

I asked someone I know (working on that project) to find out what glass was used.

He was informed that it is “tempered safety glass” that does not shatter on impact. No further info was provided, but I wonder if “tempered safety” is only for the glass, or also for birds.

Tobago is promoted as a premier birdwatching destination. Efforts to protect avian species should be high on the agenda. On arriving at the new terminal, will birding enthusiasts see expanses of glass and wonder if avian safety was considered?

Recently, I was standing near the body of one of two poisoned dogs in Crown Point. Around the dog were eight dead blackbirds, also victims of the toxin.

Three tourists approached, deliberately not looking at the corpse. One of them averting her head, said: “I don’t want to see the dead things! I don’t want to see the dead things!”

Whether they be crashed birds or the disturbingly common sight of dead dogs and cats in Tobago’s public spaces, greater emphasis must be placed on the protection of all living beings on the island.

“The dead things” are not an attractive draw for many of us, including the volume of visitors envisioned via the new terminal.