Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/3/2007

Question
There is a robin in my neighborhood that seems to have an unholy attraction to my car. Is either on my hood or windows most of the day pecking and flapping wings and leaving behind an incredible mess. Within fifteen minutes of taking the car to be washed he was at it again. My car is a disgusting mess.  Help

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. Anything that will eliminate all reflection will stop the problem. Hanging ornaments such as wind chimes, wind socks, and streamers also help. The behavior will stop when nesting begins.Roger Lederer at Ornithology.com