As Senior Account Specialist, Commercial and Glass, at Feather Friendly, most of my day is spent talking to people who have to make glass work in the real world, including manufacturers, fabricators, installers, and architects. These are all people dealing with bids, lead times, spec changes, and numerous other aspects and decisions that never show up in marketing materials.
Over the years, working across retail, commercial, and institutional projects in 48 countries (and counting), one thing has become very clear to me.
The earlier bird safety is addressed in a project, the smoother everything tends to go.
Historically, a lot of Feather Friendly’s work has involved retrofit projects — homes, offices, campuses, and buildings already in use. That remains core to what we do, and it always will be. But more and more, we’re working directly with the glass industry on new construction, and time and again I’ve seen how effective it is to integrate bird safety before a single pane of glass is installed on a building.
Feather Friendly Pro markers protecting birds at the RBC Royal Bank Plaza, Toronto
That said, I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that we replace bird-friendly glass.
Our approach isn’t a critique of bird-friendly glass, nor is it an argument against manufacturers who are already doing important work in this area. Many successful projects rely on multiple strategies working together.
What I’m talking about here is flexibility, and to me, that involves integrating another practical approach for project teams to meet bird-safety goals, reduce non-compliance risk, and avoid complications, especially when timelines and budgets become tighter.
Treating glass before installation offers strong advantages
When glass is treated in-shop before installation, many potential complications are eliminated.
There’s no swing stage, no lifts, no crews working at height, and no waiting for the right weather window. Anyone who works in colder climates knows how winter limits outdoor, on-site work.
In a shop environment, treatment can happen year-round, under controlled conditions, and on a predictable schedule. That’s critical when you want to stick to your budget. From a planning standpoint, it matters even more.
I’ve seen many projects move quickly and cause no unpleasant surprises only because bird safety wasn’t left to the very end.
First surface treatment matters more than most people know
This is one of those details that doesn’t always get enough attention in the early stages of a project, often with undesired consequences later.
Birds don’t see glass the way we do, and contrast is critical. For the solution to work effectively, treatments must be applied to the first surface — the exterior face of the glass. When patterns or etching are applied to second or third surfaces, visibility can change depending on light conditions, reflections, and time of day.
First-surface treatment is critical to ensure maximum product efficacy
Feather Friendly has been brought into projects where bird-friendly glass was already installed, but collisions continued. In many cases, the issue wasn’t solution efficacy, but solution placement. The result was additional treatment, or in some cases, full replacement.
Those are costly fixes that are much easier to avoid when things are planned correctly at the fabrication stage.
Flexibility when things don’t go exactly as planned
Glass breaks, which means replacing the panels.
When projects rely solely on specialty bird-friendly glass, replacements can result in longer delivery times while new units are fabricated. Marker-based solutions offer flexibility. Replacement glass can be treated quickly, eliminating the need to wait weeks for specialized production. With no minimum order requirements, even single-panel replacements remain cost-effective.
This is where Feather Friendly’s dealer and applicator network becomes especially valuable. Across North America and internationally, there’s always someone nearby who can step in and to get work done quickly.
A real-world example
One project I often point to involved SageGlass, where we worked directly with their team on a 16,000 sq ft order.
This glass at University of Florida was made bird-safe before installation
SageGlass purchased the material from us and deployed Sun Control of Minnesota, a Feather Friendly authorized dealer/applicator, to install it in-shop. The treated glass was then shipped as part of their normal workflow for a project at the University of Florida.
This was a smooth collaborative process that fit seamlessly with how glass manufacturing already operates.
For me, that project is a prime example of what’s possible when bird safety is treated as part of the process and not as an afterthought.
We work with a diverse portfolio of solutions and clients
At Feather Friendly, we don’t believe there’s one solution for every project.
Our visual markers offer unmatched durability and longevity, backed by a 15-year warranty. Bird Divert UV, which we now offer exclusively, offers advantages such as subtle appearance and design flexibility. For projects that require full-film solutions, we also work with partners like Solar Gard Saint-Gobain on WingSafe Black Dot.
WingSafe Black Dot is the world's leading full-film bird collision deterrent
Different buildings have different needs. The goal is not to push one solution, but to ensure the solution is appropriate to the need.
Why we approach this differently
Feather Friendly will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. We were created for one reason only — to prevent birds from colliding with glass. Unlike a few other companies, what we offer is not one product line among many. It’s the sole reason we exist.
Our conservation-first mindset informs every aspect of our operations, including how products are tested, how projects are evaluated, and how recommendations are made. It’s also why we offer free consultation early in the design process, because the most favourable outcomes come from informed decisions, not quick fixes.
Despite the extensive testing, durability, and partnerships behind our solutions, they remain cost-effective, especially when they’re planned into a project from the beginning.
What's next
Legislation around bird-friendly and green building continues to expand, and expectations to ensure that we do our bit for our avian neighbours are becoming stronger. From what I have seen on my projects, the teams that do best are those that build bird safety from the start, grounded in science and tested performance.
We’re seeing a wave of legislation in the US and Canada
From my perspective, working directly with the glass industry on new construction is not about choosing one solution over another, but about collaboration, flexibility, and achieving better outcomes for birds and buildings alike.
That’s the work I’m excited to keep doing, and the conversations I’m looking forward to having more of. Reach out to me at rbickford@featherfriendly.com if you would like to incorporate bird safety into your project, right from the start.
