Some advice-hope you birders can help?

[Lisa Almquist]

I am just so heartbroken guys so I need some help. We have a large windows near our birdfeeders and our only female cardinal just hit it and didn't survive. What should we do to try to prevent birds hitting our windows? Any advice to help this to never happen again? Thanks.

[Steve Foss]

Lisa, sometimes birds just hit windows because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. But sometimes it's because there's a second window on the opposite wall and the bird thinks it can fly through what looks like an opening. If that's the case, you can make sure the blinds/curtains on the second window are shut.

To reduce the number of collisions, you can hang a wind sock right in front of the window or put up black cutout paper silhouettes of hawks or owls in the windows. You can buy those silhouettes at some bird seed outlets or online at commercial birding supply outlets.

These things won't eliminate the problem but will cut down on it.

[Lisa Almquist]

Thanks for the advice Steve. I can do all of that.

[sparcebag]

Your window acts as a mirror and birds see a reflection under the right conditions.I took a couple streamers off a wind sock and taped them to window it works but 100%

[Lisa Almquist]

Thanks sparcebag. We just don't usually have this problem. Sometimes a little junco in the spring because there are so many (and I can just put 'em the grass & they're ok) but the cardinal was our 1st one ever in our yard. At least we have tons of pics of her.

[reelemin]

Lisa

we have this problem alot at our home in the cities. You can put up on the windows those stain glass decoration things they ussally come with a suction cup or hang them up against the windows. Anything to scare the birds away from the window. Decrative glass objects also look nice!