realUV LED Lights and Bird Anti-Collision Glass

Last year I built a new modern design house for myself and my wife which has many 10 ft tall by 5 ft wide windows. Bird collisions are now a problem and I do care about our feathered friends. I am trying to find bird anti-collision applications that have a vetted high degree of efficiency but yet are relatively unnoticeable. I have applied clear UV liquid in 2 x 4 patterns on the exterior of the glass, however I am still witnessing bird strikes and the UV liquid washes off in a few spots of rain and must be re-applied. So please, a few questions; 

Do you know of a realUV LED application as a shadow caster on large insulated residential windows specifically for bird anti-collision? The “UV shadow caster” illustration has the 385 NM UV LEDs in a canted (45-degree?) wood trim at the interior window glass frame. 

Do you think that a realUV Flood Light might work if it was aimed from the exterior on a large window? If the realUV 365 nm flood is invisible to the human eye, it might possibly be an economical solution. 

I read your cautionary note on exposure of the human eye to UV light. So in the end, realUV light might work to invisibly illuminate window glass so that birds will avoid it, but at what cost to the vision health of the human occupants?

We have checked on our end, but this is the first time we have worked with any customers on a solution for bird collisions using our UV LED products. As such, our support will likely be limited to product-related technical information as well as practical guidance, but we would nonetheless be more than happy to assist to the best of our ability.

It looks like our realUV LED strip lights would be a great option that would replicate the 385 nm UV LED strip lights used in the shadow caster installation. We do believe that the 365 nm wavelength option would perform just as well, if not better than, the the 385 nm wavelength. (For further reference, please see our article comparing 365 nm to 395 nm).

We must admit that we're still not clear on the mechanism of the UV shadow caster. Specifically, what is the "shadow" being cast and how does the UV interact with the glazing to create such shadows? What is the glazing material and what is the desired effect in terms of making it visible (or visible exclusively to birds) under the UV?

Most birds have twice the UV vision perception of the human eye. The concept is that flooding the surface of the glass with UV light will appear to birds as a virtual, near solid barrier. 

I have been in touch with an eye doctor regarding her opinion about being substantially exposed to UVA light in the 365 NM and 405 NM spectrum on a daily basis. The doctor’s opinion is that UVA exposure is not harmless.  

Regarding the “UV caster” with the above said, I am now inclined to explore utilizing the UVA 365 NM flood lights aimed at the window glass in combination with UV filtering applied window film to block the UV light from entering the interior.

While we can't speak to the efficacy of the specific UV caster product, we do now understand that taking advantage of the differences between birds and humans in terms of their wavelength sensitivities, there may be an opportunity to develop a solution that benefits birds without creating a significant hindrance to humans.

As far as UV safety is concerned, it’s a bit difficult for us to provide assurances and guarantees regarding the safe use of ultraviolet LED products, as each installation and application can vary significantly, so we recommend consulting a UV safety expert if you have any further concerns.

Both the 365 nm and 395 nm wavelengths fall under the UV-A wavelength range, which is a weaker form of ultraviolet radiation that is found in natural daylight so there are fewer concerns than other ultraviolet products that fall under the UV-B or UV-C wavelength ranges, for example.

That being said, below are some general safety guidelines that we would recommend following:

• The ultraviolet emitters have a very high intensity when used at a very short distance, but less so at longer distances. Therefore, ensuring that people or animals do not come in close proximity to the UV source can help reduce the risk of any eye safety issues.
•  Ultraviolet energy is mostly invisible to the naked eye. It can be difficult for the vision system to recognize a high level of UV “brightness” and produce a natural response to squint or look away, in the way that natural white light would.

Question posted under:

UV-A floodlightsAnimals and petsUV-A LED strip lights

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