Divert Bird-Friendly Glass

CARDINAL CG COMPANY

Bird-Friendly Glass

Pre-release product

General Availability Q4 2026

Birds See It. You See Through It.

Divert™ Bird-Friendly Glass helps birds recognize glass before impact while preserving the clear views occupants expect from Cardinal. A precision laser-etched pattern on the exterior surface is the first thing birds see, while Cardinal LoĒ™ coatings provide the performance your project requires within the IG unit. Each unit also includes Cardinal’s naturally cleaner Neat+® coating.

Glass: Clear to people, confusing to birds.

To a bird, ordinary glass can look like open sky, trees, or safe passage. The result is one of the environment’s most preventable hazards: window collisions that kill hundreds of millions of birds in the United States each year.

The challenge for architects and manufacturers has never been whether bird-friendly glass matters. It is how to specify it without adding films, limiting coatings, changing fabrication paths, or compromising the view.

Divert is Cardinal’s answer: a subtle, permanent first-surface pattern built into the coated glass portfolio specifiers already trust.

Compliance, clarity, and conservation in one solution.

Visible to Birds

A precision first-surface pattern helps birds recognize glass as a barrier before impact.

Quiet to the Eye

Precise pattern geometry helps preserve the clear views people expect.

Ready for the Build

Integrates cleanly with the performance and fabrication requirements of the glass package.

No films. No fading.
No fowl play.

Bird-friendly glazing should not feel like a workaround. Divert is laser-etched into the glass itself, creating a permanent pattern with no applied film to peel, no reliance on coating-only visibility, and no required interlayer to complicate the build.

Alternative

Common Compromise

Divert Approach

Alternative	Common Compromise	Divert Approach
Applied films or stickers	Added installation steps and long-term durability concerns	Pattern is etched directly into the glass
UV-only approaches	Effectiveness can depend on lighting and species perception	Visible first-surface pattern supports a wider range of avian species
Acid-etched or patterned glass	Can limit coating options or require lamination	All Cardinal LoĒ coatings available on surfaces 2 and 3.

A little dot. A lot less drop.

Bird-friendly design standards focus on spacing: visual markers close enough that a bird reads the glass as a barrier. Divert’s traditional pattern uses a 2 × 2 inch grid, a configuration aligned with widely used prescriptive bird-safe design guidance and stringent code pathways such as New York City Local Law 15 and the Toronto Green Standard (TGS).

For projects where a more visually organic aesthetic is required, Cardinal also offers a randomized-spacing option.

Pattern Labels

Traditional pattern commonly used in
the marketplace.

Layout for projects needing a softer, less mechanical appearance.

Naturally clean. Naturally seen.

Every Divert unit includes Neat+®, Cardinal’s naturally cleaner glass coating. Two Cardinal innovations. One exterior surface. A clearer view for people and a clearer signal for birds.

The LoĒ You Know, Now with Flight Control.

Divert separates bird deterrence from energy performance. The visible pattern is laser-etched into Surface 1, the exterior face birds encounter first, so the signal appears on the outermost glass surface, ahead of the LoĒ stack and exterior reflection cues. The pattern is built into the glass, not applied as a film or as an interlayer.

That leaves Cardinal LoĒ performance where specifiers expect it: behind the first-surface pattern, in the IG configuration selected for solar control, comfort, visible light, and energy performance.

Divert does not require NFRC recertification. The first-surface pattern works independently from the Cardinal LoĒ coating package, so U-factor, SHGC, and visible-light performance continue to follow the selected LoĒ configuration.

Built for the projects you’re already specifying.

Residential Windows and Doors

Divert brings bird-friendly design into Cardinal’s residential glass strength: clear views, LoĒ performance, and manufacturer-ready configurations.

Commercial Glazing

For architects and specifiers, Divert creates a practical path to bird-safe glazing without stepping away from Cardinal’s coated glass portfolio.

Sustainability-Driven Projects

For projects pursuing bird collision deterrence, energy performance, and lower-maintenance glass, Divert puts multiple sustainability goals in the same unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Divert work?

Divert uses precision laser etching to create a controlled dot pattern on Surface 1, the exterior surface birds encounter first. The pattern breaks up reflections and transparency cues so birds are more likely to recognize the glass as a solid barrier before impact. Because the pattern is etched into the glass itself, it is built in rather than applied afterward.

Why put the pattern on Surface 1?

Surface 1 is the first surface a bird sees. Putting the pattern there keeps the deterrent signal in front of exterior reflections and in front of the LoĒ stack, giving birds a clearer cue before impact.

Does Divert meet the 2 × 2 rule?

Divert’s primary pattern uses 2 × 2 inch spacing. That layout is aligned with widely used prescriptive bird-friendly design guidance and stringent code pathways.

Can Divert be paired with any Cardinal LoĒ coating?

Yes. Divert’s bird-deterrent pattern is on Surface 1, ahead of the Cardinal LoĒ coating when viewed from outside. Most Cardinal LoĒ coatings are Surface 2 coatings; passive solar coatings like LoĒ-180 and LoĒ-180ESC are Surface 3 exceptions.

Does Divert require lamination?

No. Divert does not require lamination for bird-deterrent performance. It is available in annealed and temperable options, and laminated configurations may be available where a project requires laminated glass for other use cases.

Does Divert require NFRC recertification?

No. Divert does not require NFRC recertification. U-factor, SHGC, and visible light transmittance continue to follow the selected Cardinal LoĒ IG configuration.

Will the pattern peel, fade, or delaminate?

No film is applied, so there is no film to peel or delaminate. The pattern is etched into the glass itself.

What makes Divert different from films or UV-only approaches?

Divert uses a visible first-surface pattern rather than relying on UV reflectivity alone. The pattern is etched directly into the exterior glass surface, so it is built in, subtle to people, and not an applied film that can peel or delaminate.

Designed to Divert.
Engineered to Endure.

Bird-friendly glass without compromise.

For more information on Divert™ glass or other products from Cardinal CG Company, please contact your window manufacturer, builder or architect.

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