Masochistic Bird?

[LiamT]

This bird keeps running into my kitchen window in western Pennsylvania.  It’s been going on for several days … the bird perches in a rhododendron just outside the window, launches itself into it, falls, then tries again.  I’m not worried about the window but I feel sorry for the bird as it seems to want to get in badly but can’t.  Any thoughts?

 

 

[aveschapinas]

Welcome to WhatBird!

Birds don't understand transparent objects like windows; they think it's open space (if you think about it, nothing like a window exists in nature...) So they may think they can just fly straight throug them, or, more likely in your case, see their reflection and think there's another bird there. There are a number of ways to make your windows more obvious so birds won't injure themselves flying into them; they can be killed that way. Other members will share their favorite tricks, but some options are curtains or blinds, stickers, or mesh over the windows.

[Kevin]

The bird is a female Northern Cardinal, as to why it is flying into your window, like @Aveschapines said, it probably sees it's reflection. 

[Charlie Spencer]

Tape a  piece of cardboard over the window for a few days.

[LiamT]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies.  It’s not even a very clean window, probably pretty visible.  Oddly no other birds seem to have the problem with it; just this one (at it as I type!).  I’ll try some of your suggestions and see what happens.  

[aveschapinas]

2 hours ago, LiamT said:

Thank you for the thoughtful replies.  It’s not even a very clean window, probably pretty visible.  Oddly no other birds seem to have the problem with it; just this one (at it as I type!).  I’ll try some of your suggestions and see what happens.  

Did you take the photo through the window? If so it's plenty invisible for a bird. And even a dirty window can make a good reflecting surface in the right light. It looks like there's shrubbery in front of the window, which would tend to decrease the possibility of birds flying into it because they'd stop in the shrub first. 

Try the cardboard idea! Or a piece of waxed paper, if you don't want to block all of the light. 

[LiamT]

On 4/12/2022 at 11:27 AM, Aveschapines said:

Did you take the photo through the window? If so it's plenty invisible for a bird. And even a dirty window can make a good reflecting surface in the right light. It looks like there's shrubbery in front of the window, which would tend to decrease the possibility of birds flying into it because they'd stop in the shrub first. 

Try the cardboard idea! Or a piece of waxed paper, if you don't want to block all of the light. 

Yes, that’s why the photo is cloudy. The shrubbery is her starting point … she perches in the rhododendron, launches herself into the window, falls, then tries again.  The short distance might help limit her speed.  She does this several times in a row, then tries again later, then again the next day.

Her determination is puzzling.  That’s gotta hurt.  Yet she persists.  I feel sorry for the bird.  It crossed my mind that she might think she’s left eggs in here.  There’s an adjacent garage; maybe I’ll try leaving the door open and see how she reacts.

The effect of the cardboard is also odd.  It’s a side-by-side double window and I only put cardboard over the side she was flying into.  Yet she still chooses the side with the cardboard.  It would likely work if the cardboard was on the outside, but we get too much rain for it to hold up.  My guess is eventually it will stop, but if not pretty soon maybe I’ll try something on the outside.  Thank you for your reply!

[aveschapinas]

2 minutes ago, LiamT said:

Yes, that’s why the photo is cloudy. The shrubbery is her starting point … she perches in the rhododendron, launches herself into the window, falls, then tries again.  The short distance might help limit her speed.  She does this several times in a row, then tries again later, then again the next day.

Her determination is puzzling.  That’s gotta hurt.  Yet she persists.  I feel sorry for the bird.  It crossed my mind that she might think she’s left eggs in here.  There’s an adjacent garage; maybe I’ll try leaving the door open and see how she reacts.

The effect of the cardboard is also odd.  It’s a side-by-side double window and I only put cardboard over the side she was flying into.  Yet she still chooses the side with the cardboard.  It would likely work if the cardboard was on the outside, but we get too much rain for it to hold up.  My guess is eventually it will stop, but if not pretty soon maybe I’ll try something on the outside.  Thank you for your reply!

Yes, probably there is still a reflection in the window with the cardboard on the inside. I'd look for something that will hold up to being on the outside in the rain.

[lonestranger]

Bird netting or Anti-bird netting, depending on the label, might be a cheap solution @LiamT. The idea is to hang the netting a few inches in front of the window. The birds can't fly through it, but you'll be able to see through it.  I've never tried it but I've read many stories, some promotional, about this method being most successful.

https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/top10/windowstrikes.php

[LiamT]

Intriguing … thanks!