The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting a Bird-Friendly Student Art Contest this semester, inviting students to submit imaginative window decal designs by March 30 to help prevent bird collisions at Stocking Hall.
The competition is open to all Cornell undergraduate and graduate students. Submissions will be accepted from Jan. 20 through March 30. The winning design will be announced on May 5 and will receive a $500 cash prize; second and third-place designs will be acknowledged without monetary awards.
Birds often collide with glass because they do not see it as a barrier, mistaking transparent and reflective surfaces for habitat or vegetation they want to access, said Cady Netland, the coordinator for bird safety with the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature.
Window decals disrupt reflections, creating an illusion of space that leads birds to perceive it as unsafe to fly through, prompting them to change course.
Submissions must feature designs for decals without gaps larger than two-by-two inches to ensure visibility for even the smallest birds seen on Cornell’s campus, said Netland.
Designs will be evaluated by a diverse panel including representatives from Stocking Hall, the Bird Friendly Cornell Group and CALS leadership. Netland will serve as a bird-safe design expert, alongside human-centered design lecturer Eddy Man Kim ’09.
Judges will consider whether designs adhere to size guidelines and complement the building and its purpose. “Feed two birds with one scone,” Netland said. “Protect the birds, while also having an aesthetic contribution to the building as well.”
The winning design will be printed on bird-safe vinyl film and installed on 15 window panes of Stocking Hall facing Tower Road, said Tara Pollock ’27, the Bird Friendly team’s student leader. The film is designed to withstand weather exposure and must be placed on the exterior of the glass to reduce reflections.
The custom vinyl is intended to be printed and installed over the summer, with donor funds from the Lab of Ornithology being allocated for installation, according to Pollock. Summer installation of the vinyl is essential to the goal of having it in place before the fall migration, which Netland said is “the most perilous time of year for birds experiencing collision.”
While migratory songbirds are at the highest risk of collision due to flight patterns, larger birds, such as hawks, still face similar dangers when encountering reflective surfaces, Pollock said. “Big Red [a hawk], a few of her fledglings have hit bus shelters. They’ve also had collisions on Stocking [Hall],” Pollock said. “So it’s not just migratory songbirds, but all birds can be at risk.”
In addition to reducing bird collisions at Stocking Hall, the competition aims to raise awareness of bird-window collisions and to engage students in bird conservation efforts on campus.
“Over a billion birds die from collisions with glass every single year,” Netland said. The competition is intended to demonstrate how small-scale design interventions can reduce this risk on campus.
For students who want to learn more, Netland pointed to the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance, a multi-sector partnership directly involved with the Lab of Ornithology. The BCPA provides information on how to make the world safer for birds, how to get involved with conservation, and other opportunities to learn about similar issues.
“I want students' biggest takeaway from this competition to be that this is something that people can really make direct, immediate positive change on,” Netland said. “That’s a really powerful thing to be able to work on, because it’s not always true when working on things.”
Students are encouraged to share design ideas with judges before the submission deadline to receive feedback. Detailed submission guidelines and the competition brief can be found on the Bird Friendly Cornell website and on QR codes posted throughout campus.
“I hope people realize that these animals deserve to be protected,” Pollock said. “We’re in their space, and it’s important to realize that we can do something [to protect them] in a creative way.”
