Confused Cardinal at my window! HELP

[melodygirl]

The bird, not a Catholic religious leader.

Seriously, I have windows galore at one end of my cabin and a cardinal is perched on the highest ledge pecking constantly and occassionaly trying to fly into the window. I have gone o/s made noises, gently tossed some soft objects at him, but he leaves only a second and comes back.

I love my wild birds around the cabin and I'm afraid he's going to kill himself from exhaustion or crashing. I feel sure he's seeing the reflection of the forest and thinks he's flying into the trees, as birds do zoom into the windows and get injured and sometimes fall to their doom. We nurse many back to health.

Any solutions for this problem?

 

[endorphin_junkie]

Some people put stickers in the shape of a flying bird sihloette on the inside of the window to give the approaching birds depth perception. The stickers don't scare the birds away like a plastic owl in the window does. I know that sickening thud of a bird hitting the windows all to well, poor little things, I wonder if right afterwards they have visions of people circling their heads as they shake it off:+ HTH

Take Care
Laurie

 

[truton]

We had that same problem here at work with a Canada Goose. It was nesting season and we think that the goose was pecking at the window because he was trying to drive away his 'rival'. He was literally pecking at that window all day long for days on end! They finally got him to stop by soaping the window. When he couldn't see his reflection any more he lost interest.

 

[melodygirl]

Ok, thanks for suggestions. It is night, the bird can't see his reflection and he's still at it. I've lost count of the hours and, quite frankly, I give up.

 

[amyg]

Is it too high to put something outside the window, like a sheet?

Sorry. I know you said you were done. (And thanks for the clarification that we were talking about a bird. I needed that!!)

 

[sunnyside]

Is he stuck by chance? My husband and I once saw a bird that was fluttering frantically on the top edge of a conveinece store. We couldn't stand it, so my husband climbed up a fence, jumped on the roof and rescued him, he had his little toe stuck in a tiny tiny crack in the storm drain. He just looked crazy wild, not stuck till my husband got close enough to tell his toe was stuck. Sadly, he died soon after from exhaustion.

Perhaps he could have flown into the window and now is brain damaged, and has no clue what he's doing?

Can you catch him somehow?

 

[melodygirl]

The poor bird finally left tonight. I went outside to look and didn't see him lying on the deck, so I assume he flew away and didn't crash.

He wasn't stuck. He kept flying off and coming right back all day long. I thought he was going to beat his brains out. Maybe he was having a bad day and needed to bang his head against something. I've had birds fly into the window and/or peck for a brief while, but never one like this!

 

[onedayatatime]

Melody,
We had a bird once continually bash him/herself against our window and called someone from animal help and they said some berries on a bush we had are like an intoxicating drug for birds. I don't remember what the bush is or the type of berries, but the bird did it for awhile and then stopped. We hung a beach towel on the window from the outside (I think someone already suggested this), so at least when the bird crashed it would be a padded surface.

have a great day,
Barb

 

[melodygirl]

Hey Barb

I'm going to look for those intoxicating berries to eat myself!

That cardinal was doing the same thing 6AM this morning. Now I'm in the basement and he's pecking at the basement window. I'm now paranoid - what does he want from me?:7

I have 39 windows in the cabin and since the bird is now moving from window to window, I'll just hope he stops soon. I refuse to cover all my windows. I live in the woods, secluded, and only have curtains on the bedrooms' and bathrooms' windows.

I hoping this is just a fluke incident. I'm on my way to put out more birdseed in the feeders and hope he follows the other birds there.

Thanks to all you gals for replying to this crazed woman.

 

[Gayle]

I've heard that wild grapes will do this. If they're left on the vine too long, they'll begin to ferment and will have an intoxicating effect on the birds that eat them.

I don't know this as scientific fact...just something a hunter once told me. I think there was a drunken partridge story behind it...

 

[jordan]

I have the same problem with birds, UGH!. I do have a bush with red berries (nothing I would eat) in my yard by the house. I will have to check this out because I hate the sound of that thud.


Thanks for the thread,
jordan