Expert: Roger Lederer - 4/17/2005

Question
We have a male cardinal who spends his time bouncing on the branches of holly bushes out side the garage windows.  That in itself is fun to watch but the thing is he bounces on the branches and then flies into and pecks at the window.  He did this quite often last year and is now back with more passion this year.  What should we do?  Watch with amusement or call the bird psychiatrist?

Answer
Cardinals 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. For more information on wild birds go to www.ornithology.com. Roger Lederer