An illustration of a large blue bird and a smaller black and white bird

Check Out These Five Easy Ways to Help Prevent Bird Collisions

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As our feathered friends are heading south, an alum at the Lab of Ornithology offers some tips on how you can protect them

By Cornellians staff

Illustration by Shea Oleksa

Editor’s note: These visuals originally appeared in a LinkedIn post from the University.

Every fall, migrating birds face an invisible danger: injury or death caused by flying into glass windows and façades. Here are five ways you can keep birds safe, according to Tina Phillips, PhD ’17, assistant director of engagement in science and nature at the Lab of Ornithology.

Illustrations of the same front door with and without exterior lights, under the heading "1. Switch off nighttime lights"

Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights and limit indoor light exposure by using curtains or blinds, especially during migration periods (August–November and March–June). 

An illustration of a light with the light pointed downward, under the heading "2. Adjust lighting"

Shield outdoor lights and aim them downward. Use warm, low-intensity lighting (bulbs under 3000 Kelvin on the color temperature scale), and limit light duration with motion sensors or timers.

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An illustration of a window under the heading "3. Apply window treatments"

Use tape, decals, or film with a two-by-two-inch pattern to disrupt reflections. Window screens or vertical paracords placed three to four inches apart also work well.

An illustration of a bird feeder located far from a house, under the heading, "4. Relocated bird feeders and baths."

Place feeders and baths more than 30 feet away from windows to curb collision risk. If such distance isn’t practical, place them within three feet of windows to help reduce the speed of collisions.

An illustration of a a hand holding a phone displaying BirdCast migration map under the heading, "5. Track bird migration in your region"

Use tools like the Lab's BirdCast Migration Dashboard to identify peak times when bird-safe practices have the most benefit.

Published September 17, 2026

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