What To Do: Indoors

Welcome to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! There is much to explore before you step through our front doors. Stroll through miles of trails on our 425-acre Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary.

Take a break or enjoy a picnic on the picnic tables and benches in the shady portico.

Soar like a Condor by snapping a photo in front of the California Condor Mural.

Watch the Cornell Feeder Cam in person! Observe the birds in real life that millions have seen online.

At the Front Desk, borrow binoculars, become a Lab Member, and chat with staff about the trails and Visitor Center.

Add your sighting to the Bird Observation Interactive. Spin the globe and see as checklists from around the world are being submitted in real-time.

Hope Wall

Share your hope for birds and nature and read what other visitors have shared on our hope wall. It’s a great way to share your passion and get inspired by others as we join together in one flock.

From So Simple a Beginning

Also called the Wall of Birds, this mural highlights the 350-million-year evolution of birds and highlights one member of each of 243 extant bird families. It’s the work of Jane Kim of Ink Dwell studio. You can also use our online interactive feature to explore the Wall of Birds in detail.

The Wall of Silhouettes

This mural by James Prosek nods to the classic silhouettes in the endpapers of the first Peterson guides—but expands the range to include habitats and birds from across the world. The mural also pays notice to how distinctive and varied the world’s birds are, and how much about them can be revealed from a simple study of shape and posture.

Sound Ring Sculpture

Maya Lin’s Sound Ring is an elegant oval of American walnut that stands taller than a person. From it emanate sounds that represent migration flyways, curated by Mark Menjívar. The Sound Ring is part of Lin’s sprawling memorial What Is Missing?, a moving tribute to the losses in nature that go on every day.