In the context of window collisions, bird strikes occur when birds accidentally fly into glass surfaces they cannot see due to their inability to recognize the glass as a solid barrier. Reflections of the sky or surrounding vegetation make windows appear invisible or like open space the birds can fly through, leading to accidental collisions often resulting in injury or death. Thus, window collisions are a major threat to bird populations.

Large glass buildings on campus create hazardous reflective surfaces that birds cannot detect, resulting in collisions that contribute to declining bird populations, disrupt our local ecosystems, and a create a negative atmosphere for all members of campus, avian or otherwise.

Preventing bird collisions involves making glass surfaces more visible to birds and can be achieved in many ways, such as by using window decals, external screens, UV-patterned glass, and strategic lighting adjustments. Window decals are the easiest way to combat collisions as they are easy to install and effectively break up reflections, signaling to birds that a surface is solid.

Making campus a friendlier and safer place for birds does not have to be hard! You can begin by simply reading up more about the danger collisions pose and become better-informed on the prevalence of this issue on university campuses. 

If you come across a bird on the ground that may have suffered a window collision, you can report it to the Princeton Birding Society or even join the group as a campus strikes monitor. 

Additionally, if you can access the window surface of your room, you may place closely spaced decals, tape, or film to lower the window's surface reflectivity. 

And of course - you can design a decal to be applied on a prominent campus window and submit it as part of our Safer Skies contest!