
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced a new initiative to prevent wild birds from colliding with buildings and transparent noise barriers. (Image courtesy of Seoul City)
SEOUL, March 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced a new initiative to prevent wild birds from colliding with buildings and transparent noise barriers. The city will be accepting participants for its ‘Wild Bird Collision Prevention Project’ from March 4 to March 18.
The project aims to reduce injuries and fatalities among birds by supporting the installation of anti-collision tape on structures with high risks of bird strikes. The tape helps birds recognize transparent surfaces as obstacles rather than open space, thereby preventing collisions.
An estimated eight million birds are injured or killed annually in South Korea due to collisions with building windows and noise barriers. To mitigate this issue, the city is inviting municipal offices, public institutions, private building owners, and tenants within Seoul to apply for support.
Interested applicants must submit a completed application form along with the property owner’s consent via official correspondence, mail, or in person to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Natural Resources Team. Five locations will be selected based on the severity of bird collision incidents and the feasibility of implementing preventative measures. Each chosen site will receive anti-collision tape worth up to 10 million KRW, though installation costs must be covered by the applicants. Additionally, within a month of installation, participants must submit photographic evidence of the completed work.
In July of last year, Seoul enacted the ‘Wild Bird Collision Prevention Ordinance’ as part of its ongoing efforts to promote coexistence with wildlife. Under this ordinance, large-scale development projects subject to environmental impact assessments must include bird collision mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the city evaluates public building projects to ensure bird-friendly measures are incorporated during design reviews by the Public Architecture and Design Promotion Committee.
Lee Soo-yeon, head of Seoul’s Parks and Recreation Bureau, emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating, “Through this project, we aim to reduce bird collisions caused by artificial structures in Seoul and raise public awareness about the importance of bird protection.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)