Mountain View, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 8.96.10, Appendix A5 Sec. A5.107.1
- Lower elevation standard
- 90% of elevation up to 40 ft treated
- Upper elevation standard
- 60% of elevation above 40 ft treated
- Marker spacing rule
- 2-inch max dot/stripe density (2 x 2 Rule)
- Applies to
- New building elevations under Green Building Code
Summary
New buildings in Mountain View must treat most of their glass exterior with bird-friendly markers under City Code Sec. 8.96.10, part of the Green Building Code's mandatory Appendix A5 measures. At least 90 percent of a building's lower elevation and 60 percent of its upper elevation must use etched glass, patterned film, screens or similar strategies that break up reflective surfaces birds can strike.
A5.107.1 Required elevation treatment. Building elevation treatment shall incorporate bird-friendly mitigation strategies. No less than 90 percent of a building elevation, measured from grade to a height of 40 feet (12 m) above grade, or from grade to the height of an adjacent mature tree canopy (whichever is greater), shall incorporate bird-friendly mitigation strategies. No less than 60 percent of building elevation, 40 feet (12 m) above grade to the top of the building elevation, shall incorporate bird-friendly mitigation strategies. ... Glazing with visual markers shall include, but is not limited to, the following: a.Etched or fritted glass with patterns of elements on the exterior having minimum dimensions of 1/4" (0.64 cm) diameter for dots or 1/8" (0.32 cm) width for stripes in a density of 2 inches (5.1 cm) maximum horizontally and vertically (the "2 x 2 Rule").
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 107 of the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, and Sec. 2 to set Mountain View's specific glazing standards. No less than 90 percent of a building elevation, measured from grade up to 40 feet or to the height of an adjacent mature tree canopy (whichever is greater), must incorporate bird-friendly mitigation; above that height, at least 60 percent of the remaining elevation up to the roofline must comply as well. Acceptable strategies include etched or fritted glass with dot or stripe patterns meeting the '2 x 2 Rule,' exterior glazing film with the same 2-inch marker density, laminated glass with patterned UV coating, glass block or channel glass, or independently tested bird-strike-reduction glazing approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
25 feet of the glass, or sunshades and louvers of specified depth and spacing. Sec. 10's special conditions list extends the standard to glass adjacent to green roofs, glass railings and guardrails, transparent building corners, skywalks and connectors, glass atriums, and free-standing glass structures like bus shelters or gazebos.
Violations & Fines
A new building that installs untreated reflective or clear glazing across the required elevation percentages fails Sec. 8.96.10 review and will not pass the Building Division's plan check for the mandatory Appendix A5 measures. Because bird-safe glazing is a mandatory CALGreen measure rather than an optional one, the only way around the specific glazing product or barrier method is a written modification approved in advance under Sec. 8.64.20.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as bird-safe glass under Mountain View's code?
Does the bird-safe glazing rule apply to my whole building?
Are glass walkways and atriums covered by this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
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