Green Doesn't Mean Bird-Friendly

The FBI's Chicago offices are LEED certified, but the 10-story building is also a killer: at least 10 birds a day careen into its windows. A conservation group helped the Feds get bird-friendly.

1 minute read

April 17, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


The FBI's building is on a migratory path, so during the migratory season a special netting is placed over the buildings windows:

"The FBI building isn't the only LEED-certified structure to cause problems for migratory birds. Some of the more than 33,000 certified LEED buildings in the United States use glass to bring in natural light and save on energy. All that glass can confuse birds.

"A building that kills birds is not a leader in energy and environmental design," said [Annette Prince, director of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors]"

Sunday, April 17, 2011 in The Chicago Tribune

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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