Expert: Julia Booth - 3/7/2009

Question
I have a male cardinal that has been pecking at my window now for about three weeks.  Now more than ever.  It doesn't bother me but what can I do?  should I buy a bird feeder for him?

Answer
It's spring. Cardinals are known for being territorial during the nesting season. Because they are red perhaps, the males are attracted to their reflection, which they assume is another male, attempting to horn in on their territory. This results in the pecking of people's windows.

There is no definite way to fix this. Just know that the behavior will probably stop, once breeding season is over. Maybe another few months. Yeah, that's a long time to listen to pecking.

Some things you can do are covering the window with a non-reflective coating (this is a sheet of plastic marketed for reducing glare) or placing random, reflective surfaces around your patio to distract him, such as little mirrors, chimes, mobiles etc.


Hope this helps you,

Julia