Ventura, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Adopted by Ordinance No. 140(M) is Ventura's only bird-safe construction standard and applies solely to new buildings and major renovations within the harbor district around Ventura Harbor, not citywide. The rule limits untreated glass or glazing to no more than 35 percent of any building facade, and requires the remaining glazing to use bird-deterring treatments such as fritting, netting, permanent stencils, frosted or nonreflective glass, angled glass, exterior screens, decorative latticework, physical exterior grids, or UV patterns visible to birds, with a maximum 30 percent "reflectivity out" coefficient on any glazing.

Vertical pattern elements must be at least one-quarter inch wide spaced no more than four inches apart, and horizontal elements at least one-eighth inch wide spaced no more than two inches apart. Courtyard and recessed-area edges must use opaque, nonreflective materials, and trees planted near a reflective wall or window must sit within three feet of the surface to break up reflections. The section separately regulates nighttime lighting to reduce bird disorientation: fixtures must be shielded and directed downward, up-lighting and event searchlights or spotlights are prohibited outright, landscape lighting is limited to low-intensity, low-wattage fixtures, and red lighting is restricted to safety and security warning uses.

Subsection 7 bars "bird trap" design features, including glass courtyards, interior atriums, windows installed directly opposite each other, clear glass walls, skywalks, and transparent building corners, and new projects must give residents and tenants information on bird-safe practices.