Bird problems...

[outdoorfunblonde]

I was wondering if anyone else has (or has had) the ridiculous problem
of birds slamming themselves into your windows??
I know it sounds stupid, but I'm SERIOUS!!
It seems to mostly be the dang cardinals who do it here,
but, it is VERY annoying and usually scares the crap out of me. It is loud!
I just dont understand the "bird thoughts"... LOL
I used to think it was just them being defensive and doing it because
they see their shadow, or reflection. I dont think so anymore.
It was such a HUGE problem when I first moved here,
that NOBODY got sleep past the crack of dawn!
I figured there HAS to be some way to end this...
They hit SO hard, I'm surprised not a window has broken yet.
They actually leave an imprint in the screens... you can see the body and little legs outlined!!
years ago, I had to resort to taking my daughters cat poster,
and cutting it into 4 parts to tape to the windows. This poster was a bunch of cats close together, all looking forward. I hoped the "eyes' would deter the birds from doing this.
IT has been the ONLY thing that has ever solved the problem... and NOW, I need to find another couple of cat posters. Birds are doing it again, after a few years of giving my sanity a break!
What is wrong with the birds They might be "angry birds" for all I know!
I have even had one knock himself out and drop straight to the ground after doing so...
My cat at the time raced over to get him and brought it to me
and dropped it at my feet like he wanted me to "fix it" LOL
Do your neighborhood birds do this too??

 

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[1320]

I've seen many a human walk into a sliding glass door......lmao!

 

[hvacker]

It might be texting while flying,
It happens at my house. I have very large glass that goes to the peak of the roof . I used to hang these plastic tubes made to keep birds from kamikaze flights but they didn't hold up well. Next I took a hard drive apart and drilled a hole in the disk and hung from a wire outside the window. When the sun shines I have a light show from the reflections. They do work. My neighbor has a small silhouette of a hawk on their window. Don't know if it works.
Recently a farmer up the road has put model coyotes on parts of his land to scare the geese away. Sometimes there would be over 100 geese hanging there.

I think something that moves a bit might work better. Some birds are smart and don't seem to fly into things. Like crows and hawks.

 

[outdoorfunblonde]

I've seen many a human walk into a sliding glass door......lmao!

Yeah... me too!

 

[pepperj]

I've seen many a human walk into a sliding glass door......lmao!

We must of met before.

 

[GMD52]

They see their reflections, and are actually attacking the reflection. I have had on several occasions had to go out and remove stunned birds from my porch, they have to date broken 3 windows....the biggest was a ruffed grouse.....Gary

 

[boogeyman]

Easy fix. Head down to the hobby store or swap meet & grab a few packages of the vinyl window decals. Flower ones look better than the teddy bears. The decals break up the reflection & they quit plowing into the window thinking it goes on forever. A heck of a lot cheaper than a new glass pack for the window.

 

[ARC]

I can fix your problem...
2 ways...
#1. fishing line... string fishing line from edges of house to nearby trees etc... above your head as far up as you can.
Criss cross the lines... this screws up the birds "radar sensoria"
#2. Buy a couple of large plastic fake owls... place on edge of roof in plain view.. on wall or fence etc.

This is how we do it in Florida to keep seagulls and other birds away from areas you do not want them.
When you eat at the beach etc here... all the restaurants with outside patios have fishing line strung everywhere...
And a few owls as well sometimes.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Your windows are too clean! Lol!

I have actually seen a pigeon fly into the side of a big white box truck and knock it's self out. The feathers flew just like on the cartoon, I tossed the dazed bird on the roof of our tent trailer so the neighborhood cats wouldn't get it. After an hour he flew away. Maybe all our cell tower radio waves are confusing them.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I once seen a sparrow hawk plow right into a moving side car window, It must have though it could fly straight through to the other side of the road, via the windows. I understand if you place cut outs of birds of prey on your windows, this cures the problem.

SS

 

[ARC]

I have had one fly IN my car as I was driving... trying to go though the other window which was up ...
I had to pull over and let the crazy thing out...
It was freaking out flapping up in the dash and front windshield area.

I have seen some crazy crap with birds... a lot of fishing accidents...
When I volunteered at parks I would save at least a bird a week...
mostly pelicans and seagulls.
most with fishing hook related injuries.

 

[voodoo]

Yes owls, decals, fishing line and hanging something in front of the window are all great fixes. Use at least two methods.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I have seen some crazy crap with birds... a lot of fishing accidents...
When I volunteered at parks I would save at least a bird a week...
mostly pelicans and seagulls......

ARRC, this reminds of a funny story going back to my boy hood days, walking along the river with my dog I came upon a huge hearing gull that had landed on a open tin can, the tin lid had trapped the birds foot. As I went to help it, it swam off with the tin attached, so I sent the dog in to retrieve the bird. Well the gull pecked the hell out of the dog and he released it, and must of thought sod this, and swam back to the bank I chastised him a bit and sent him back out, the gull was halfway across the river by now, some 30yards but my dog was a great swimmer being half retriever, he then grabbed the bird for a second time...by the beak and brought it back. One smart dog he was.
I took the bird home were my Dad took off the can, and we then took it to the RSPCA. Ironically I was the only person the bird didn't peck or have a go at, and I carried it a good mile home.

SS

 

[ARC]

heh SS.

 

[worldtalker]

I've had them hit the door leaving full wing prints,a little hummer hit it last summer and got dazed,I brought it in to show my Wife and dang if it didn't zip up around the room out the door.

No casualties yet.


GOD Bless

Chris

 

[SwtTea]

Most birds can not tell that there is even a window there. It's not that they are attacking themselves, it's that the environment is reflecting in the window to them and it looks like it's just more place to fly, or they simple don't see the glass. It sounds like maybe your windows are facing in a direction they have a flight pattern at, if it is happening so often.
That's why the cat posters worked, but I doubt it matters what you put there. They probably didn't think it was a predator, they just realized there was something there, it broke up any reflections.
This phenomenon is one of the top killers of birds and it happens everywhere.
If you own a pet bird, too, it is a danger if they are flighted in your home and you have any windows that aren't obscured or large mirrors. I lost a bird this way when I was little, before knowing how impossible it was for them to tell the difference.
Lots of good advice on this site to prevent window collision:
15 products that prevent window strikes - BirdWatching

 

[1shotwade]

Get some of the el cheapo kids toy rubber snakes to put at the window sill. Should be "problem solved!" I killed a snake by the house one night so just pitched it ontop a brush pile I was getting ready to burn. Next morning the blue jays went crazy when they saw it. I left it there for 3 days and the birds raise cane non stop until I lit the brush pile.

Wade

 

[Oregon Viking]

Prevent Window Strikes :: Bill's Top 10 :: Bird Watcher's Digest.com

 

[Larwar]

The birds are not attacking there reflection, they just don't see the glass, putting up some picture or decal will get there at tension tha there is something there, Is your house knew ? If so you are in there flight routine flight path.

 

[OldJerseyGirl]

Yes they are attacking their reflection. I had a cardinal after my side mirror on my car. He hit the mirror for over half an hour. I put the car in the garage and he started on the side window. I had an owl so put it on a string and hung it by the side window. That did the trick.
Another funny story. When I was young we had a big garden. I had a nice patch of strawberries, and the birds would peck holes in them. So I got an owl and put it on a post right in the middle of the strawberries. Well, about a week later I saw a little wren go up into the owl( it was hollow). Darned if she didn't have a nest in there with three eggs in it. So much for the owl, at least for the wrens. I think the owl has to move?