Fatal Window Strike Reported on Campus, Believed to Be Hawk Fledgling “N2”

We are saddened to report that a juvenile hawk has died following a window collision on Cornell University’s main campus. Veterinarians from Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital notified Cornell Lab of Ornithology staff that a deceased juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was recovered near Roberts Hall on the afternoon of July 19, and photo evidence confirmed the presence of a window strike on the west side of the building. 

Plumage characteristics of the bird, confirmed sightings of both N1 and N2 in the area on July 18, and recent confirmed sightings of fledgling N1, suggest that the deceased hawk is likely to be N2 from the 2024 Cornell Hawks Cam nest.

This sad event reminds us of the continued hazards and challenges that these young hawks face navigating their environment after they leave the nest. Since 2012, 12 out of the 38 hawks on cam (adults and nestlings) have succumbed to death or injury from window collisions, and the risks extend beyond the hawk family on cam. 

Window collisions continue to be one of the largest threats to birds, as they are estimated to kill up to 1 billion birds per year in the United States alone.

The deaths and injuries of hawks and other birds at Cornell have led to a movement on campus and the City of Ithaca to make windows safer for birds, though much work remains to be done. In 2022, the University adopted a new building standard recommending bird-friendly glass for new construction on campus. That year, the Cornell Bird Friendly Campus Initiative was also established, co-led by a Cornell undergraduate team and the Lab of Ornithology, to encourage bird-friendly retrofits on existing buildings.

Fritted glass (with etching to make the windows more visible to birds) has been installed in the new Atkinson Hall still under construction on Tower Road across from Big Red’s and Arthur’s nest site, and bird-friendly film is slated for the windows of Cornell’s new Equine Park barn. Acopian BirdSavers have been added to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Stocking Hall, and additional prospects for retrofits are being considered for other buildings along Tower Road.

The City of Ithaca is now considering amending its building codes to require the new buildings meet the Bird-Friendly Design Standards of “Reducing Bird Collision Credit” in the LEED Green Building rating system. As Council members seek perspectives to inform their upcoming votes, a public forum will be held at Kendal at Ithaca at 3:00 p.m. on July 27, 2024. 

While these efforts offer hope for the future, the loss of the hawk believed to be N2 is at once a wrenching reminder of the hazards that birds face in built environments and the actions that are still needed in all our communities to help make buildings safer for birds. More than 20 U.S. cities have adopted bird-friendly legislation, including New York City, and thousands of residents and building owners are choosing to make glass safer in their own neighborhoods across the country.

For more information, visit the American Bird Conservancy’s website on preventing window collisions.

Thinking about a DIY project to make your own windows safer? See the Acopian BirdSaversDIY webpage. 

If you are interested in action in your own city, read “Building Safer Cities for Birds—How cities are leading the way on bird-friendly policy.”