Board advances bird-safe building standards in planning-code amendment

The Board of Supervisors passed in first reading an ordinance on Tuesday to establish bird-safe building standards in the city's planning code. Sponsor Supervisor Mar described collisions with buildings as a major human-caused source of bird mortality and said San Francisco's proposal would prevent many bird deaths and place the city among leaders adopting similar standards.

Supervisor Mar said proponents included the American Bird Conservancy, Golden Gate Audubon Society and the mayor's office. He thanked Johanna Parton in the mayor's office and planning department project staff, including project manager Brial Lovejoy and Anne Marie Rogers, for developing and shepherding the measure. The sponsor urged colleagues to support the ordinance.

The board took the item by unanimous consent, passing it in the first reading. Supporters said the measure aims to reduce an estimated hundreds of thousands (to hundreds of millions in some widely cited estimates) of bird deaths annually from collisions with glass on buildings, from large office towers to residential windows.

Why it matters Adopting bird-safe standards aims to reduce avoidable wildlife mortality tied to urban development and aligns municipal planning with conservation best practices. The ordinance directs city planning staff to set standards for materials and design to reduce bird strikes.

What's next The ordinance passed in first reading and will return for further readings as required by the legislative process. Planning staff and conservation groups who supported the measure will continue technical work to implement standards.