Expert: Roger Lederer - 4/14/2010

Question
Hi, for the last week I have had a robin (assuming a male) attacking windows on two different sides of my house. The windows are dirty from his head feathers and it seems like each hit results in an explosion of droppings!  I've tried shades up, shades down, handing something in the window and finally had to put up a plastic tablecloth to flap in the wind on the back window.  Now he's at two other windows on opposite sides of the house.  It's noisy and dirty and I'm wondering how to stop him or when he will most likely stop.  If this is a mating ritual, he's too dumb to reproduce! :)  Thanks D

Answer
Robins and many other birds are territorial and when they establish territories in the spring they become aggressive and chase off intruders. Unfortunately, they don't distinguish between their own reflection in a window (or car mirror) and try to chase that off. The solution to the problem is to eliminate the reflection. Misting the outside of the window with a very weak detergent or soda solution will eliminate the reflection but will also impair visibility for you. Awnings, eave extensions, and window screens will eliminate all reflection and stop the collision problem. Hanging ornaments such as wind chimes, wind socks, and potted plants also help. The behavior will stop when nesting begins.