Birds are often seen attacking a window, pecking at, or tapping on a window. Birds will also attack mirrors on cars, glossy flower pots, and shiny hubcaps.
A bird is tapping on the window with its beak. Sometimes it is merely pecking at the window; sometimes it seems to be attacking the window. What is going on? In the past, many people took this to be a bad omen foretelling the imminent death of someone in the household. An ancient belief cast birds as the souls of the dead and a bird attacking a window or otherwise trying to enter a house was believed to be the soul of a dead person coming to lead a departing soul into the afterlife. You can read more about souls arriving and leaving in bird form in the Encyclopedia of Myths.
This strange behavior, however, has a less romantic, more scientific explanation. Birds attack shiny surfaces because they see their own reflections. In the case of a window, the bird does not see through the glass: it sees a reflection of the outside, possibly trees and the sky, and another bird of its own species. The real bird does not recognize itself and mistakes the reflected bird for a competitor for territory or mates. It attacks the image in the window, trying to drive the other bird away.
Of course, this is a fruitless exercise. The bird reflection will always be there, forever inaccessible behind an invisible barrier. The real bird often returns many times, compulsively launching itself at the window. If it is very aggressive, it could damage its beak, but most often it just wastes energy and time. Very large birds may break the glass, to the distress of bird and home occupants alike.
If your windows are suffering from the attack of a confused bird and you want to discourage the behavior, the best thing to do is to cover the outside of the window with something. (Don't cover the inside as the covering will probably be invisible behind the mirror that the birds see.) If you don't want to cut out too much light, use an opaque plastic that will let light in but not reflect any image. You can also buy black silhouettes of hawks, or spider web decals (see the photograph and my recent blog entry) to discourage birds from attacking windows or flying into them, but again, if the bird is attacking the window, the decal would probably have to be placed on the outside of the pane.
The copyright of the article When Birds Attack Windows in Birds is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish When Birds Attack Windows in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
In Chester County PA, a male cardinal started pecking two years ago, at 3
windows on one side of the house. Initially it was only during spring. This
year (now late November)he is still pecking regularly every day sometimes
after dusk. Nothing discourages him, even humans or cats inside the window.
The only other such window peckers were woodpeckers during breeding season
only.
ducontostavlos@verizon.net
Dec 5, 2008 10:01 PM
Guest :
I once watched a male BULOCKS ORIOLE pecking at his reflection in a cars
window its most likly he mistook his reflection as a rival
Feb 13, 2009 9:05 AM
Guest :
I found this site this morining because I have a female cardinal pecking at
the kick plate on my front door, then she moved to the window in the room
next to the fornt door. She is now moving between the two places. I chased
her away but she has returned. She is not a very happy camper right now or
at least does not see to be, I guess we'll see how long this lasts, or if I
will have to get something to cover it up...uhm.....
Feb 14, 2009 8:43 AM
Guest :
I posted yesterday about the female cardinal, I finally had to put
something over the kick plate, she pecked at it all day all, now she is
back and flying at the windows around the door and at the other windows on
the front of the house. I had hoped she would leave after covering up the
kick plate. I guess I will have to cover all the windows. Any suggetions
from anyone? puzzled in SC
Feb 15, 2009 12:57 PM
Rosemary Drisdelle :
I think covering the windows with something, or applying decals or window
art (Easter/spring decorations maybe? - I know we're still a long way from
Easter...)is a good idea - whatever you use, put it on the outside of the
glass. I think you'll only need to do this temporarily - in my experience,
these things don't last all that long. Let us know what happens.
Feb 23, 2009 9:18 AM
Guest :
One of the best ways to keep birds from striking your windows is to place
hawk siloutes on the windows to detere them from striking windows
Feb 27, 2009 8:16 AM
Guest :
I live in Texas and have a male Cardinal that has been attacking my house
(front and back, 2-3 times per day) for 5-6 weeks. I have tried a lifesize
plastic owl statue to no effect. I saw this article and plan to try the
window covering idea next.
Feb 27, 2009 11:09 AM
Guest :
I live in Texas and have a male Cardinal that has been attacking my house
(front and back, 2-3 times per day) for 5-6 weeks. I have tried a lifesize
plastic owl statue to no effect. I saw this article and plan to try the
window covering idea next.
Mar 13, 2009 3:13 AM
Guest :
For the past week I have had a finch pecking at three different windows in
the house. I have sat at my computer for the last two hours and the finch
has been pecking at the patio door for the whole of that time.
Mar 14, 2009 3:59 PM
Guest :
googled and came across this because: I live in Louisiana, and have a male
cardinal attacking my window too! At first it was cute, after about 2
weeks its getting a bit old! I love birds and have 2 feeders, and 3 houses
for them. So I have a hard time trying to run him off!! This guy has
torn the leaves off the tree against the house just to go at the window.
He seems to concentrate on only 1 small area of a huge selection of
window!! He doesn't care if I tap on the glass. My daughter is still
entertained by him. Gotta love nature.
Apr 20, 2009 12:19 PM
Guest :
On Monday morning,a male robin found himself reflected in our window. Love
at first sight. He courted himself all day for three days and, again, on
Thurs. morning. That afternoon, he was gone. Turns out, he was planning to
elevate the courting. He returned Friday morning with nest building
materials in his beak. I've tried covering the windows, plastic owl,
sending the dog out. As of now: bird 7, homeowner 0. I just bought a row of
hanging beads (1960's style) that suspend from door frames. Taped strands
to all the windows, hoping the movement will deter him. Lexington VA
Apr 28, 2009 1:42 PM
Guest :
I have had a male cardinal attacking my windows for the last 3 years and
have found nothing that deters him. He started just striking one window.
The next year, all the windows in the front of the house. This year, all
the windows in the house. I don't know when he has time to eat because he
does this obsessively and constantly from dawn till dusk 7 days a week. He
is making everyone in the house insane. I've actually seen him chase away
a female so he could continue to protect his territory from HIMSELF! I've
tried soaping the windows, rubber snakes, a plastic owl, a butterfly
net...all to no avail.
May 5, 2009 12:55 PM
Guest :
I am in rural East Texas and for the past three weeks, have had a male
brown-headed cow bird sitting on our outdoor shower surround attacking his
reflection in the window. I quickly put up some sheets of paper on the
outside, but he has pecked them to pieces (thinking he's making progress
with his rival) and will not leave. The little guy is driving us
(including the dog) crazy!
May 20, 2009 6:13 AM
Guest :
For a week now I have had a Robin pecking at, and attacking the windows on
my shed (two in front and one in back). I chase him away and he flies
around the building to the window on the other side. He is there morning to
night. I feel so sorry for the little guy and am afraid he will hurt
himself. I found this sight with the great ideas and will cover the glass
for awhile to see if this deters him.
May 29, 2009 7:01 AM
Guest :
We have a summer tanager waking us up every morning pecking at the bedroom
window. I walked over to the window & it flew off, however, about 2
minutes later the little persisent fellow was back again. Hey, it's
actually a better sound than a buzzing alarm clock!!!!
Jun 12, 2009 12:31 PM
Guest :
I have a male golden finch or something like that attacking my window as
I'm typing this! This same bird has been pecking at my window for the past
2 days! I'll probably cover my window now, thanks!
Jun 30, 2009 6:08 AM
Guest :
I HAVE HAD A BIRD(BLACK W/ WHITE CHEST AND RUST COLORED MARKINGS ON SIDES
OF ABDOMEN COMING TO NUMEROUS WINDOWS AT THE SAME TIME EACH DAY FOR
OVER A MONTH. HE WILL TRY FOR 10-60 MINUTE PER DAY AND DOESN'T SEEM TO CAR
IF MY DOG OR I ARE THERE OR NOT. FRANKLY HE IS FREAKING ME OUT. I'M NO
BIRD EXPERT BUT IT IS CLEARLY THE SAME BIRD. AS FAR AS THE REFLECTION IDEA
HE ALSO FLIES UP AND ATTACHES HIMSELF TO SCREEN TO LOOK IN. DOES ANYONE
OUT THERE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON
Sep 30, 2009 4:33 PM
Guest :
WE HAD A BIRD PECKING AT A MIRROR HANGING ON OUR FENCE, DID THIS FOR 2
WEEKS DAY AND NIGHT.. YESTERDAY HE EVIDENTLY HURT HIS WING AND TRIED
TO FLY AND FLEW INTO MY GLASS DOOR AND FELL AND SCURRIED A SHORT
DISTANCE. THE POOR THING PASSED AWAY.. I WILL NEVER HANG ANYTHING
REFLECTIVE OUTSIDE AGAIN, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THERE IS NO STOPPING THEM FROM
PECKING ON THE WINDOWS.
Oct 1, 2009 8:40 AM
Guest :
omg...i am so tired of birds...but at the same time love them. For the
past year I have had a bird with an orange beak pecking at my bedroom
windows. He won't go away. Now he has been joined by two finches, a
cardinal and a blue jay..all in the same tree outside the window. I
covered the outside with a sheet and that stopped him, but as soon as the
sheet was removed he was back. Now the finch is pecking as well. I don't
want to put the sheet back because it blocks our view of the river that we
overlook, however, not being a morning person this is getting old being
awoken at 7am every day...when I don't go to sleep until 2am! I will try
the spiderweb film...hopefully that will stop them!
