Getting rid of birds hitting the window (snake, robin, windows)

[rural chick]

I hope this is the right forum for this question....I couldn't seem to locate another one which seemed to fit my question about birds.

I have this female cardinal bird which continually hits the glass in the patio door. Over and over again and won't go away. She did it last year too.

I have put strips of tape on the window, used a aluminum pie pan hanging down the window on a string, used paper streamers hanging down, found a picture of a huge owl and put in on the window, put a sheet over the window from the inside...nothing helped. She also sits on the top of our deck chair and stares at the glass for hours and doo doos on my chair.

Any more suggestions? Thanks!

[andthentherewere3]

I have these, they have helped cut down on the number of birds hitting our windows:
Window Decals, Bird Feeders, Bird Bath And Bird Houses At Windowalert

[subject2change]

I don't think decals will help with this. They are for birds that fly into the window because they don't see it. It sounds like your birds are seeing their own reflection and trying to ward off the intruder into their nesting territory. Maybe an awning over the window would block the sun and keep it from reflecting? Or letting the window get dirtier, or maybe using soap flakes to make a frosted design (I know I've seen instructions for this online. It's a Christmas tye of thing) I'd keep experimenting with different things and checking to see if I could still see my own reflection.

[phonelady61]

Tape a piece of aluminum foil to the inside of the window it will reflect the light and the birds will stay away from it . It sounds crazy but it does work and also can use a plain piece of computer paper . remember to tape it to the inside of the window not on the outside !!! I hope I have helped im sorry you are having the problem . I hope it stops soon .

[CowanStern]

Cut out the shape of an eared owl and stick it on the window.

Cardinals and Pyrrhuloxias are notorious for attacking reflections of themselves. They can go crazy with the rear view mirror of a parked car.

[harry chickpea]

Falconer.

[LauraC]

I've been noticing a brown thrasher that goes after the cardinals (and the blue jays) so maybe a little brown thrasher something. Besides itself, what does the bird see reflected in the glass?

[gigimac]

Preventing Window Strikes

The name of the website, sialis, is the proper name for a bluebird. It has 50 million ideas to stop birds from running into windows. I liked the one about tacking small-spaced netting or screening outside the window.

[CowanStern]

Originally Posted by LauraC

. Besides itself, what does the bird see reflected in the glass?

The bird doesn't know it is seeing itself, and thinks it is seeing a territorial rival of the same species as itself. An extremely tenacious and increasingly aggressive one.

Make a tape recording of a bird song or call, and then replay it. The bird will come very close to investigate, again thinking there is a territorial rival, because they can't recognize their own voice being played back by a technology beyond their comprehension. Bird watchers use this trick all the time. If you're looking for the mangrove cuckoo, for example, which is extremely difficult to find, just play a recording of a mangrove cuckoo song, and if there is one within earshot, it will very boldly fly into view and display itself, hoping to scare away the territorial rival. This is practically the only way to ever see the elusive black rail. If you put a repeating black rail call on a tape recorder and set it out to play in an open space, the bird will run right out and peck at the tape recorder.

Nearly all species of male birds, in breeding season, will stake out their territory, and try to intimidate any intruders of their own species.

[fisheye]

Just wave the white flag and beg for mercy!

We went through this with a robin a month or two back. We have a plastic owl that we sat in front of the window – that did not work. We tried dangling, moving, aluminum pans – that did not work. We tried a rubber snake on the window sill – that also did not work. My wife made a scarecrow – that also failed. Then we tried combinations such as the owl sitting on the shoulder of the scarecrow – they also did not work.

We finally gave up – we are not as smart as the average bird brain! Fortunately for us; he decided that he effectively drove us nuts and could then move on the brighten the days of another unprepared human. We were in shock that it was over – we are still waiting for the cardinal to take up where the robin left off.