Campus & Beyond As Meinig Fieldhouse Rises, Iconic Red-tailed Hawks Stay Safe Stories You May Like Big Red Bird Lovers Aim to Make East Hill’s Buildings Avian Friendly Cornell’s Beloved Hawks Raise a Family, Far Above Campus Birdcams Offer Up-Close Views of Avian Life Throughout construction of the facility—which opens in spring 2026—staff have worked to protect the birds, who nest nearby Editor’s note: This story was adapted from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Clarissa Casper Photography by Cynthia Ryan Sedlacek ’84 Big Red—a red-tailed hawk known to millions via the Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams—has nested atop the lights of Robison Alumni Fields on central campus for more than a decade. Before construction on the new Meinig Fieldhouse began in 2024, Cornell staff feared the bird might not return. “If at all possible, we wanted to see if we could maintain the site they were using and maintain the ability to stream from there,” says Charles Eldermire, a multimedia producer at the Lab whose team runs Bird Cams. “That was an immediate concern.” Over the next year, Facilities staff, construction workers, and ornithologists collaborated closely to cause minimal disruption to Big Red and her fledglings, and to protect all birds from colliding with the building’s windows. Along the way, the birds fluttered between steel beams and perched on cranes, charming workers at the site—just as they have inspired birdwatchers around the world. The crew embraced the hawks as part of daily life, even sporting stickers of Big Red on their hard hats and creating and filling a makeshift birdbath to keep them cool. “It’s funny,” says Jake Duell, Facilities construction manager, “because they are the most hardened guys that I’ve known forever, and they’re so soft when it comes to these birds.” Initially, 12 aging light poles were slated to be removed as part of the project, which will provide indoor practice, competition, and recreation space for students. But two of those poles had held Big Red’s nest in the past, so Facilities worked with the Lab to give her a chance to stay. Facilities staff, construction workers, and ornithologists collaborated closely to cause minimal disruption to Big Red and her fledglings, and to protect all birds from colliding with the building’s windows. “We demoed most of them all down, leaving these two last winter, in the hope that the hawks would come back and nest in them,” Duell says. “It was really just a shot in the dark that they would come back.” Big Red is now 22, so maintaining her nesting site is critically important, says Eldermire. Wild red-tailed hawks typically live 10 to 15 years. “Each of these years that we have left, you can’t them take for granted,” he says. Big Red carries a twig to build a nest. For many viewers, watching Big Red’s eggs hatch and her chicks grow has sparked an interest. “They become birdwatchers through those cameras,” Eldermire says, “and then share that with other people online and out in the world. That’s the power of that site.” Cynthia Ryan Sedlacek ’84 says if a colleague hadn’t told her about the red-tailed hawk cam more than a decade ago, she wouldn’t be the birdwatcher and photographer she is today. Stories You May Like Big Red Bird Lovers Aim to Make East Hill’s Buildings Avian Friendly Cornell’s Beloved Hawks Raise a Family, Far Above Campus It was really just a shot in the dark that they would come back. Charles Eldermire, Lab of Ornithology multimedia producer She and her husband, AAD staffer Karel Sedlacek, were immediately hooked, watching the hawks daily and eventually tracking them in real life with cameras and scopes and sharing the experience with others. “I certainly would not have been aware of birds or hawks without having been introduced through the cams,” Cynthia says. “Absolutely not.” Following Big Red closely brings immense joy, the Sedlaceks say—but also heartbreak, as fledglings often die from collisions with buildings and glass. A fledgling takes a bath. “You’re always holding your breath a little bit with the chicks,” Cynthia says. One billion birds in the U.S. and Canada die annually from collisions. At Cornell, 13 of the 41 hawks observed on the cam have been injured or killed due to collisions. Inspired by the hawks, the Sedlaceks joined with other staff, alumni, students, and volunteers to create Bird-Friendly Cornell. Wild red-tailed hawks typically live 10 to 15 years. Big Red is now 22, so maintaining her nesting site is critically important. With the group’s help, the Lab of Ornithology and Stocking Hall installed protective treatments on windows, and construction standards now guide new campus buildings, including Atkinson Hall, which features bird-friendly glass. For the new building, Facilities ordered glass etched with dots spaced two inches apart to ensure the hawks, and countless other birds, would avoid colliding with the windows. Two fledglings enjoy a snack on a building truss. As construction proceeded, Duell’s crew worked with the Lab to keep the cam running, installing new power and data lines at the remaining poles so the camera would be ready. On March 5, 2025, the cam came back online for its 14th season. Viewers watched Big Red and her mate, Arthur, rearrange twigs left from 2024 on a remaining light pole, shaping the pile into a bowl. Before long, viewers saw the nest gain one brown-speckled egg, then another, and finally a third. Cam viewers followed along as Big Red and Arthur raised their fledglings, seemingly unfazed by the new building rising on their territory. Says Duell: “It worked out perfectly.” Published December 8, 2025 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like 6 Questions For ... 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