Imagine sitting by the corner of your window, enjoying the sunset view with a refreshing cup of coffee in your hand. All of a sudden, you hear a tap-tap sound that startles you out of the meditative vibe.
And upon turning around, you get to see it is your fellow feathery friend – the cardinals pecking at your glass. Well, it is quite a common phenomenon all over the world.
But why do cardinals peck at windows? As this occurrence has been raising numerous questions among various nature enthusiasts and other curious minds for generations after generations.
Here, we will unveil the secret along with providing effective solutions to stop them from attacking your windows.
Why Do Cardinals Attack Windows?
This may seem a bit odd to you, but Cardinals have a habit of attacking the windows without even knowing what they are actually doing.
Here is a list of the things owing to which they fall into the trap and start attacking the windows:
Cardinals Perceive Their Reflection As A Rival Bird
Cardinals are one of the most feisty creatures that you will ever come across. And in times of the breeding and nesting seasons, ranging from the early spring to the summer, they tend to get much more aggressive.
As a result, they mistakenly think of the window’s reflection of themselves as their rival bird – trying to harm their partners and little babies.
The red male cardinal is usually in charge of defending the territory and their potential mates against other males of the species, while the female stays highly protective of their nest.
Owing to this, whenever they say reflective surfaces like a glass window, they can’t differentiate between their own image and the enemy, thus ending up attacking the windows.
Kind of who are these new fellows in the area? Time for some action to show them who is the real boss!
Well, it’s totally instinctual, and one can’t really do something about it.
Cardinals Mistake The Reflection For More Space To Fly
Cardinals are free birds who love to roam around with their wide wings spread apart without facing any sort of obstacle.
And, often, the reflection on the glass window looks like there is a clear path to fly around in.
But in reality, they are a strong barrier. As a result, due to the lack of distinction, they tend to mistake the reflection of the windows for more space to fly. Talk about being super deceptive!
How To Stop Cardinals From Attacking Your Window: 5 Proven Ways!
Are you tired of the constant cardinal air force attacking your windows every then and now? If so, make sure to follow these five proven methods to keep them at total bay:
1. Adhere Anti-Collision Window Film (Decals)
First off, we have the anti-collision window film. Also known as the decals. They are a kind of invisible shield that acts as a gentle reminder for the little buddies to stay away from the windows as much as possible.
That is, it helps to break the illusion of the territorial cardinals, following which they mistake their own reflection as a rival bird and start attacking.
Such a life savior, indeed! Plus, they are available in various cool designs and patterns – making your windows looking at their best.
2. Draw Invisible Lines On The Window
Time to draw those invisible lines on the window!
Don’t worry, as you won’t be seeing them, as these lines are for the birds.
With the help of these lines, they will get to know that these are barriers in their flight path, stopping them from going in that direction. Besides, your view will not be obstructed in any way as well. A total win-win situation!
Moreover, these lines can be easily cleaned off using a window cleaner. So there is nothing to stress about the cleanliness of the windows.
3. Hang Reflective Scare Tape Outside The Window
Next up, we have the reflective scare tape. Hanging them outside the window works like complete magic in terms of stopping the cardinals to attack your windows.
How?
Well, it’s because these little fellows are not a big fan of moving glimmers. As a result, whenever they see them, instead of going toward the windows, they start flying in opposite directions. Talk about turning the tables!
4. Close Blinds Or Drapes
This might seem like a simple method, but in reality, they are pretty effective. And once you start closing the blinds or drapes, you will automatically find the cardinals not attacking your windows.
One of the very reasons behind this drastic change is, these blinds/drapes work as an active visual barrier, ultimately preventing them from viewing and mistaking their own reflection as a rival bird.
5. Move Plants Toward The Window (Indoor Plants & Outdoor Plants)
Naturally, cardinals love green plants and thus feel more attracted to them whenever they spot them. As a result, by moving some indoor and outdoor plants toward the window, you can create a great distraction for them.
As they will be all busy checking out the lush foliage – paying no attention to the glass windows at all. Besides, who doesn’t love having a mini indoor jungle right outside the windows?
Just make sure the plants are placed at a safe distance away from the glass window to avoid any mishaps from happening.
Do Cardinals Also Attack Car Windows?
Well, the answer is a big YES. It may come as a surprise to you, but it is true.
Whenever they catch a glimpse of their reflection in a shiny car window, they start attacking the car windows, thinking it is the rival bird who is trying to attack their territory.
From flapping their wings to pecking at the window – they will do everything to drive away the intruder.
However, the good news is that after a little while, fighting a bit, they stop at once when they understand they are not a real threat. They might leave behind a few tiny marks. Hence, you can rest assured regarding any serious harm done to your car.
And in case of stopping them from attacking your car windows, the solution is pretty simple. That is, move your car and park in a safe place away from the bird’s reach.
Strategies For Preventing & Reducing Injury From Window Strikes
Follow the below-mentioned approaches to prevent and reduce injury to a great extent from window strikes:
Prevention
As cardinals are ground foragers, you can easily make a space on the ground area for them. Doing so will prevent them to look into the window in the very first place. How to do it?
You can place an extremely low tray feeder on the floor or maybe scatter the seeds around. As a result, they will be less likely to fly into the window as their main focus will be on the delicious treats available.
Reduced Injury
Since we are totally clueless and don’t know when these little fellows will attack our windows, hence the best tactic to follow is the implementation of the mitigation strategy.
Here, the ultimate goal is to make sure the bird feeders are within 3’ from the window space or more than 30’. It is one of the standard methods that most people tend to follow while hosting birds in their yards.
For instance, if a bird is at the feeder and taking off toward the window, then certainly they won’t have enough time to hit the window at full speed, ultimately reducing the damage as well!
Ridiculous Solutions To Stop Cardinals From Attacking Your Window
Ridiculous solutions refer to the extreme solutions that are demanded in the most desperate times. They are not the first choice but are really effective if the situation goes out of hand. And must be used only if the proven strategies didn’t work for some reason.
Let the Window Go Dirty
What? Well, it’s true and pretty effective as well.
How? It’s because, if the windows are dirty, the cardinals will have a hard time seeing their reflection as clearly as they would in case of a clear one.
However, it doesn’t mean you have to keep your windows all dirty; instead keeping them a little bit dirty for some time will do the trick.
Soap Windows
Next up, we have the soap windows. With the help of soap, you can create a foggy and fun design – confusing the little fellows.
Besides, who will look into a cloudy window, especially when there are much clearer and simpler paths ahead?
The more weird the solutions seem, the more effective it is.
Installation of an Awning
This approach is more extreme and also a bit expensive as well compared to the above ones. However, they are more efficient as well.
Plus, having an awning helps to create some major style points for your precious house, along with providing the birds a beautiful shade that they cannot help but perch on. Talk about a great diversion!
Install Blinds on the Outside
Having the blinds on the outside is another decent way to keep these birdies from attacking your windows. However, in case of any kind of strong winds, rain, or snow, chances are high they might get damaged. So, make sure to keep this in mind while going for this one.
Cover the Window with a Tarp or Painter’s Drop Cloth
Yes, you heard it right!
With the help of a tarp or painter’s drop cloth, you can effectively create such a view that the birds will become totally clueless about what is happening. However, one thing that they will understand is that there are no rival birds here. And thus, ultimately will stop the attack on your windows.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, you have no more questions regarding the topic “Why do cardinals peck at windows?”
Cardinals are certainly one of the marvelous creatures of nature that can leave a permanent marking on our hearts. However, they can also become quite aggressive during the breeding and nesting seasons.
So, even if you see them attacking your windows, it can be because they mistook it for a rival bird or any other reasons.
Therefore, if they happen to attack your windows then and again, make sure to implement these strategies, and you will be all good to go.
One thing to note; don’t resort to any dangerous approaches as; at the end of the day, they are a beautiful part of our lives and environment!
