'Thud' on Transparent Glass... 8 Million Birds Die Annually from Collisions

Enforcement of Amendment to Wildlife Act Enforcement Rules
Mandatory Collision Prevention Measures for Public Institutions
Application of Collision Prevention Patterns on Glass Windows, etc.

Public institutions will be required to install additional facilities to prevent damage caused by wildlife in the future.

On a cool autumn day, the clear sky is reflected on the glass windows of a building near Seoul 7017. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

On the 8th, the Ministry of Environment announced that it will implement a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the "Wildlife Protection and Management Act (Wildlife Act)" starting from the 11th, to minimize damage to wildlife caused by artificial structures such as transparent windows, soundproof walls, and waterways.

This amendment to the enforcement rules is a follow-up measure following the revision of the Wildlife Act in June last year, which newly established regulations obligating national agencies, local governments, and public institutions to install and manage relevant artificial structures to prevent collisions and falls of wildlife.

According to research, annually 765 wild birds (1.07 birds per building) collide with building glass windows, and 230,000 birds (163.8 birds per 1 km of soundproof wall) collide with transparent soundproof walls, resulting in the deaths of 8 million wild birds each year in Korea due to collisions with structures.

Accordingly, when public institutions install artificial structures such as buildings or soundproof walls made of transparent or reflective materials, they must apply patterns of a certain size or larger, such as linear or dot patterns, to reduce collision damage to birds and other wildlife.

Bird collision prevention sticker attached to a glass window.
[Photo by Seosan City·Yonhap News]

Additionally, it is estimated that 90,000 wild animals (excluding amphibians and reptiles) die annually after falling into agricultural and fishery waterways. One survey found that in waterways without escape facilities, 0.57 carcasses per 1 km were discovered, whereas in waterways with such facilities, only 0.2 carcasses per 1 km were found.

Therefore, when installing artificial structures such as waterways where wildlife may fall, escape facilities must be installed to allow fallen wildlife to exit the artificial structure, and crossing movement and avoidance guidance facilities must be installed to prevent wildlife from falling and to enable safe crossing.

Wildlife escape facility installed in a concrete waterway.
[Photo by Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

Furthermore, this amendment specifies detailed methods for investigating wildlife collision and fall damage, including investigation items, methods, and safety guidelines.

The Minister of Environment must establish and conduct related investigation plans annually. For artificial structures where wildlife damage is severe, the relevant institutions will be requested to take measures to prevent such damage.

An official from the Ministry of Environment stated, "With this amendment to the enforcement rules, we will prevent wildlife collision and fall damage caused by artificial structures, conserve biodiversity, and establish a foundation for coexistence with wildlife."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.