Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/15/2005

Question
We have a male robin who sits at our window and looks in.  He is making a big mess on our front porch.  He is also prone to flying into the window, not hard, but into the window.  He is now sitting on the mirrors of our car, flying into them from this position and making a mess on our car.  What might cause him to do this and how can we change the behaviours. This is the first year this has happened.  No one else is complaining.  I think he is nesting in the tree on our property.  We have rarely seen a female, but there is sometimes two on the lawn.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Josie Quinn
Brampton, ON  Canada

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.Roger Lederer