A local ordinance passed in Lake County, Illinois, is taking aim at one of the most worrying threats to declining birds: collisions with glass windows. More than a billion birds die in such collisions annually, contributing to the loss of 3 billion birds from North American populations since 1970.

The ordinance is a national first and follows two years of collaboration between Lake County's Planning, Building and Development Department and American Bird Conservancy (ABC), which commenced after local bird conservation advocate Donnie Dann asked the county to consider adopting a bird-friendly building policy. The County Board, led by Lake County Board Member Paul Frank, wanted to see what actions the County could take to reduce the number of birds colliding with windows, understanding the importance of this issue and that “bird-friendly infrastructure is not just a win for the environment, but also for the community at large.”

What happened next is an inspiring example of what's possible when big thinking, bold ideas, and quick, collective action come together.

A series of productive meetings took place between 2023 and 2025 with ABC's Glass Collisions Program Director, Bryan Lenz, and two Lake County Planning, Building and Development staff members, Eric Waggoner (Director), and Taylor Gendel (Senior Planner – Sustainability). Initial conversations centered on how to address bird collisions at County-owned buildings and about adopting a policy for new County construction and collisions at existing buildings. There was also interest in developing an ordinance that specifically covers residential construction and single-family homes — something no other U.S. city has done before.

The team initially set out to determine where County building staff have witnessed collisions at the Lake County Central Permit Facility building. To help narrow the focus to fixing the deadliest County building windows first, the facilities department worked with ABC to send out a survey to all staff who work in the buildings. The survey allowed for comments, and the response was stronger than expected, with 43 percent participating. 

Survey results, combined with deliberate collision monitoring and conversations with staff, provided a list of problem hotspots that required prompt action. Many staff shared details about collision problem areas and injured birds, with some also offering to assist in the project. One respondent even stated, “So glad to see this issue come through [in] my email this morning. This has been such an issue for us.” 

The survey results not only helped identify problem windows and areas, but just as importantly, showed that people care deeply about birds and find collision experiences distressing. Staff were also grateful when they learned that management was taking steps to prevent harm to birds. None of this would have been known and addressed without the survey and collaborative efforts.

Lake County made a plan to start applying bird-friendly retrofits to the facility building, the first step toward addressing the issue across all County-owned buildings.

As all of this was unfolding, the County continued to work with ABC to design a bird-friendly building ordinance. In June 2024, the County adopted such an ordinance that applied bird-friendly building requirements for commercial buildings that included new construction and for window replacements. This was a major accomplishment, but Lake County wasn't done. 

The next step was tackling something no municipality had done before: passing a bird-friendly building ordinance solely for new residential construction, including single-family homes. The Lake County-ABC team had to think outside the box to make this happen, because while there are many options for bird-friendly commercial glass and lots of ways to retrofit existing commercial and home windows, bird-friendly new glass for home windows is not yet widely available. 

Waggoner hopes these new actions will help change that, stating, “The market for residential bird-friendly window products is small but growing. Although we are among the first local governments to embrace residential bird-friendly building design, we anticipate more communities following our lead. With enough momentum across the region and beyond, we hope to spur an expansion of the marketplace for bird-friendly window products so residents can choose from a full range of low-cost options.”

This new policy allows builders and homeowners to choose any type of glass they want. However, windows that do not have full, external window screens will require ABC-approved window retrofit products or the use of shading systems like louvers to prevent birds from flying into the glass.

The new ordinance was approved and celebrated by the Lake County Board on May 12, 2025, at the same time that they recognized World Migratory Bird Day and its theme, “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.” The rules take effect on July 12, 2025, a date that Gendel says should be exciting for all Lake County residents: “You don't need to be a bird enthusiast to appreciate the benefits that birds provide to our ecosystem. Lake County is Illinois' most biodiverse county, and it lies along the Mississippi flyway, a major bird migration route. I'm proud to have worked on this sustainability initiative and to have played a part in the County taking this historic step forward.”

“Lake County exceeded our expectations and is an incredible example of what's possible in solving a problem of this scale,” said Lenz. “We're hoping this groundbreaking homeowner collisions requirement could become trendsetting for other cities, especially since our latest study revealed that over 1 billion birds die from window collisions in the U.S. annually, with over 40 percent happening at homes. Together we can build a future in which glass is no longer a leading threat to birds.”

ABC has played a leading role on multiple fronts to reduce bird collisions, from advocating for collision-reducing legislation and evaluating and testing new bird-friendly glass products to educating architects, developers, and homeowners. ABC is excited to partner with others interested in establishing a bird-friendly building design policy.

For more information, please visit ABC or contact Bryan Lenz, blenz@abcbirds.org. 

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet's fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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