Every spring and fall, millions of migratory birds cross the American continent along major natural corridors known as flyways. These flyways connect ecosystems, economies, and cultures from the Arctic to Patagonia, stretching like invisible highways over mountains, rivers, and coastlines and guiding the movement of entire flocks across the continent.
Although some species undertake extraordinary nonstop flights, for many others migration occurs in stages, with successive stops to rest and refuel; in fact, the cumulative time spent at these stopover sites can exceed the total time in flight. But when these stops occur in urbanized landscapes, birds must face additional obstacles and threats. In cities located within these corridors, the risk of mortality increases dramatically.
Collisions with buildings have become one of the leading causes of this mortality, especially due to the extensive use of glass surfaces in these structures. This is because by reflecting the sky, trees, or surrounding vegetation, these facades create the illusion of a continuous habitat; since birds do not perceive the glass as a physical barrier, they fly directly into these surfaces, causing impacts that often result in serious or fatal injuries, thereby jeopardizing the balance of ecosystems and the environmental services that birds help maintain.
The Americas boast one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet, home to nearly 50 percent of the world’s bird species, with more than 3,700 species recorded across the continent. In this context, the way cities are planned and built plays a decisive role in maintaining ecological connectivity and reducing the risks faced by birdlife in a territory that is key to global biodiversity.
According to a study published by ABC Birds , more than 1 billion birds die each year from collisions with glass surfaces in the United States alone, suggesting that the scale of the problem globally is considerably greater. The National Audubon Society has also warned of the severity of this problem and highlighted the importance of incorporating bird-friendly design to prevent collisions, reduce bird mortality, and transform urban environments into safer spaces for biodiversity.
A city on a key flyway
Panama’s geographic location makes it one of the most relevant sections of the Americas Flyways system. For millions of birds, it is not only a transit area, but also a critical place to rest, feed, and regain energy before continuing their journey across the continent. This condition makes the country a key node for ecological connectivity between North, Central, and South America within the Americas Flyways, the most diverse flyway system in the world, home to more than 2,000 bird species.
In this context, CAF’s Northern Hub, a building currently under development in Panama City with an investment of USD 88 million, represents a concrete opportunity to integrate bird-friendly design into urban infrastructure. From its conception, the project was planned under sustainability and environmental efficiency criteria, with the goal of meeting LEED certification standards by incorporating measures for energy efficiency, responsible water use, and reduced environmental impacts.
The coordinated work between conservation and architecture specialists made it possible to integrate bird-friendly design criteria into the project, grounded in scientific evidence. As a result, the technical specifications for the façade were updated, and the glass designed under these criteria is currently being manufactured at a specialized factory in Europe.
“Integrating engineering with conservation science allows us to make informed decisions that reduce impacts and lead to truly sustainable infrastructure. In the construction of the Northern Hub in Panama, we incorporated bird-friendly criteria, based on scientific evidence, to protect a key section of the Americas flyways.”
Luisa Plaza, executive at CAF’s Directorate of Physical Infrastructure Development and Maintenance
More than simply reducing collisions, bird-friendly architecture can be understood as a form of urban ecological infrastructure. A prime example of this approach is St. John’s Terminal, Google’s building in New York, whose biodiversity component was developed in collaboration with the NYC Bird Alliance. Its redesign incorporated native vegetation, stormwater management, and green spaces that are now used by migratory birds. In this building alone, scientists from the NYC Bird Alliance recorded more than 60 bird species using the created habitat to feed, including 11 species never before documented on the city’s green roofs, such as the Yellow warbler (Setophaga aestiva)
But its benefits are not limited to wildlife: this type of design also creates healthier, more attractive, and more inspiring environments for people by strengthening their everyday connection with nature.
This commitment is part of the approach promoted by the Americas Flyways Initiative (AFI), an alliance led by Audubon, BirdLife International, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), which promotes different solutions to reduce the risks faced by birdlife by integrating bird conservation across infrastructure planning, design, and financing processes in the Americas.
On a continent connected by flyways, every building counts. CAF’s Northern Hub shows that cities can stop being obstacles and become part of the solution when science guides design decisions, such as the use of bird-safe glass, functional vegetation, and lighting strategies that reduce risks and support a more harmonious coexistence between biodiversity and urban life.
“Cities represent a unique opportunity for bird conservation. Buildings with vegetated façades and bird-safe glass not only create habitat and reduce collisions but also generate spaces that bring people closer to nature. Designing with both birds and people in mind helps build more sustainable urban environments, where local conservation actions contribute to hemispheric impact.”
Dustin Partridge, PhD, Director of Conservation and Science, New York City Bird Alliance.
This is not merely a symbolic gesture, but above all a concrete commitment to integrating biodiversity into investment and urban planning decisions in the Americas, guided by technical criteria, scientific evidence, and a long-term vision. It is also a commitment aligned with an increasingly visible international trend: bird-friendly design initiatives are already being recognized for their environmental and architectural value, as was the case in 2025 with Yale’s Bird-Friendly Building Initiative, which received an award of excellence from the International Sustainable Campus Network.
As the first building of its kind to incorporate bird-friendly design criteria within CAF’s infrastructure portfolio, the Northern Hub will become a reference point for future projects in the region, demonstrating that integrating biodiversity from the earliest stages of design can help guide urban growth toward solutions that are more closely aligned with conservation needs and medium- and long-term environmental priorities.
