Although ornithologists and bird-lovers have been aware of the severe threat window collisions pose for birds, a 2024 study of bird-building collisions in the Northeastern United States revealed that strikes are even more dangerous than we thought and are responsible for the deaths of at least 365 million birds (potentially even up to 1 billion) per year in the United States alone.
In the first ever Safer Skies competition at Princeton, we are inviting undergraduate students, graduate and postdoc students, faculty, staff, and university affiliates to submit bird-inspired designs, the most spectacular of which will be turned into decals and installed on windows on our campus in an effort to prevent future bird collisions.
As part of its commitment to making campus a safer place for birds, Princeton has already treated or is working to retrofit buildings on campus that have proved to be particularly fatal for avian life. Although effective, most traditional bird-deterring decals look quite mundane - thus, we need YOU to create a decal design that not only prevents bird strikes but also makes campus a more beautiful place for all members and raises awareness about the prevalence of bird strikes and the importance of bird lives.
To learn more and submit a decal design, browse the following four tabs on the left-hand side of this page:
Safer Skies Decal Design Contest - important information about the competition, including deadlines, tips, and required templates to be used.
Contest FAQ - answers to the questions you may have about the competition. If you have an inquiry that has not been addressed on that page, contact us!
Decal Design Inspirations - not sure what to design? No problem! Take a look at bird-safe window decals that have been installed at other institutions to get your gears spinning.
Design Submission Form - make your decal submissions here.
The Stoddard Lab and the CST are ecstatic to partner with the undergraduate residential college Yeh College, graduate housing's Lawrence and Lakeside Apartments, and the TigerWell Initiative. We are grateful for these groups' willingness to contribute to our project, whether that be through funding, time, space, or other resources. Most of all, we are thankful for these groups' demonstrated understanding of the importance birds play in our local (and of course, the global) ecosystem.