I BIRD NYU
The NYU Urban Bird Project (I BIRD NYU) is an initiative that promotes collaboration between faculty, administrators, and students from across the University who are interested in advancing the interests of birds through scholarship, creative practice, and community.
2025 Green Grant Recipient
In July of 2025, the NYU Urban Bird Project received a grant from NYU's Office of Sustainability to undertake window collision data collection and discover which NYU buildings pose the greatest risk to migrating birds. The grant also funded a collaborative art installation that brought together the NYU community as they learned about and connected with birds.
Data collection began in September 2025. The art piece event took place in April 2026.
Project Background
Every year, millions of birds migrate through NYC. According to NYC Bird Alliance, 90,000-230,000 migrating birds are killed in the City yearly because of collisions with glass windows. Birds play countless roles in healthy ecosystems—from seed-dispersal and fertilization to eco-friendly pest-control and pollination. Preserving their existence is a sustainability issue as well as an animal conservation one.
As the responsible owners of dozens of buildings, NYU is perfectly positioned to take action and protect birds as they move through New York City.
Fall 2025 Window Collision Monitoring
On September 2, 2025, the NYU Urban Bird Project began its pilot window collision monitoring season. Nine undergraduate research assistants were hired, trained, and outfitted to collect data along two routes around NYU's Washington Square campus.
Collaborative Art Piece
In April 2026, I Bird NYU hosted a week-long collaborative art installation at the NYU Paulson Center. Community members were invited to share where they're from and get matched with a bird who shares something with them: either a home town or distance traveled to NYC.
Almost 200 people participated in the event and became better acquainted with the birds in our community. Attendees were invited to add their home towns, and that of their companion birds, to a physical map.
You can also get matched with a bird by using the I Bird NYU map at the top of the page!
To see what NYU and other universities are doing to protect birds during migrations, you can now visit the Bird Safe Campuses platform.