How To Stop A Cardinal From Flying Into Window

Reports say that about one billion birds die each year after flying into windows in the The states alone, and cardinals are among the almost common victims. Fifty-fifty if the bird was lucky enough to cheat death, it'd probably live with permanent injuries in the skill, beak, or wings. Why do cardinals fly into windows? There are three reasons:

Cardinals may be attacking their reflections, thinking that some other bird is invading their territory.
If the window is crystal clear, cardinals may think they're flight into open up space.
Cardinals that recently ate fermented berries may be too disoriented to see the mirror.

That was the short respond, just I've got way more to share on this topic. I'll analyze all the reasons why cardinals fly into windows, and I'll also share some ways to protect them.

3 Reasons Why Cardinals Fly Into Windows

Technically speaking, y'all can skip directly to the solutions in the next department to learn how to protect cardinals from hit your window. However, understanding the underlying causes volition permit yous to devise your own solutions if the ones I'll present don't prove useful.

1. They're Attacking Their Own Reflections

In example you lot haven't already realized, the protagonist of the Angry Birds game is a male Northern Cardinal! This game's creators couldn't find a better species to embody the aroused bird leader in the war against the nasty pigs.

When the mating flavour rolls around, male person cardinals become super ambitious toward other birds, especially other male person cardinals.

If a cardinal spots an intruder inside its territory, information technology'll sound a series of warning songs first. Most intruders will back off afterwards hearing this telephone call because they know that cardinals shouldn't be messed with.

When a fundamental stands in front end of your window, it falsely perceives its own reflection as an intruder. And since the alarm call won't shake off the imaginary rival, the cardinal volition start flying and pecking at the window until information technology gets injured.

Cardinals Turn Peaceful in the Winter

Although cardinals don't typically alive in large flocks, their territorial instincts gradually fade abroad every bit they move into wintertime. Information technology'south extremely common to see a grouping of 10 male person cardinals scouting your backyard for seeds during that time.

Of course, as soon as cardinals brainstorm to have other males into their territory, you should expect the window accidents to happen less often.

2. They Don't See a Physical Bulwark

I'thousand pretty sure you've seen hundreds of videos capturing unlucky people as they nuance through glass doors. If the glass tin deceive intelligent humans, birds surely don't stand a chance!

Writer Annotation: If your window is reflecting dense outdoor vegetation, cardinals may call up they're flying through a clear path. If yous proceed some potted plants right past the window, cardinals may feel tempted to become explore that untapped territory.

3. They Might Exist Disoriented

Cardinals, and all birds for that matter, have an fantabulous spatial perception, which is why they can weave through dense branches without breaking a sweat. Withal, that ability might go impaired for ii reasons: eating fermented berries and looking at glaring lights.

Getting Boozer on Fermented Berries

Every bit you might already know, cardinals aren't picky eaters. They love to feed on a broad selection of seeds, fruits, and even insects, but berries are amidst their all-fourth dimension favorites.

Every bit berries get over-ripe, their sugar content doubles upward, paving the way for fermentation and alcohol production. Because cardinals take tiny bodies, eating a few of these fermented berries can make them, well, tipsy! Yes, birds do get drunk!

That phenomenon becomes especially common after the first frost. The actual date varies according to your location, simply it mostly happens betwixt September one and December 13.

The expert news is, cardinals will sober up on their own. But if you happen to catch a drunk cardinal, you can put it inside a nighttime box until it soberizes. This way, you'll exist protecting it from dashing into windows or becoming a helpless prey.

Getting Distracted Past Bright Lights

Birds use stars to navigate the heaven, especially while migrating. But if they have to laissez passer through decorated towns, they might get distracted by street lights, lit windows, car headlights, etc.

Luckily, cardinals don't migrate too far from where they were born. Too, they usually head to their sleeping locations once the sun goes downwards.

All the same, if a predator wreaks havoc on their nest during the dark, the cardinals will have no choice but to fly away, and that's where accidents may happen.

7 Ways to Prevent Cardinals From Flying Into Windows

Alright, now that we've explained all the possible causes behind these unfortunate accidents, let's see how you tin protect those precious birds from facing imminent demise.

1. Tape Your Windows

Attach 1/two-inch duct tape on the outside surface of your windows to make them more visible to birds.

For the ultimate results, make certain to selection a bright color that can be clearly visible from a distance, such equally red, orangish, and low-cal green. Black record won't work because windows already look nighttime from the outside.

Writer Notation: Subsequently determining the color, now it'south time to think about the spacing. You can run vertical stripes spaced no further than 4 inches. On the other hand, horizontal stripes should be placed ii inches apart.

Why these measurements in particular? Well, the average size of cardinals is 8 inches, meaning that they tin clasp themselves through any gap wider than half dozen inches. And so you should always brand sure that the untapped areas of your windows are narrower than 6 inches.

2. Attach Some Decals

Although taping your windows would do the play tricks, information technology won't expect stylish. Instead, you could opt for colorful decals.

Nonetheless, go along in mind that attaching only one decal won't cut it. Similar I said before, cardinals volition call up they can clasp through the articulate parts of your window if they're big enough.

Put upwardly as many decals as yous tin fit on the window. So use your palm to evaluate the articulate areas. If you find a gap that'southward bigger than your palm, encompass it with tape or another decal.

And again, those decals should go on the outside surface of your windows — that's where they can actually break up the reflection.

3. Attach a Fine-Mesh Netting

If you're into DIY projects, you could have some fun implementing this idea.

Catch a fine-mesh netting, preferably one that'southward made of polypropylene. Then, attach this netting to a wooden frame that'due south slightly larger than your window. Finish by attaching this frame ii inches away from your window past using shelf brackets.

Some people mountain the netting direct over the window. Although this may make the window more visible to cardinals, it doesn't actually brand apply of the netting.

When you mount the netting far away from the window, birds can safely bounce off it without hitting the drinking glass. Y'all'll exist basically creating a fancy trampoline for those beautiful birds!

4. Utilize Frosted Privacy Films

If you don't mind roofing your windows for the whole mating flavour, the Rabbitgoo Privacy Film should exist your all-time bet.

These films volition make your windows look like solid brick walls, making it highly unlikely for cardinals to fly into them. Better yet, the films can reflect 84% UVA rays and 99% UVB rays, which should brand your house much cooler during the summertime.

Once the mating flavor wraps upwards, you tin can hands take the films off your windows without having to deal with any sticky residue.

5. Pigment the Windows with Tempera Pigment

If your kids like to paint, you can allow them nurture their talent on the windows with tempera paint.

Author Notation: The all-time thing well-nigh tempera paints is that you can hands remove them with soapy water. Plus, they don't flake or fissure with heat, meaning that they'll last throughout the mating flavor.

Recollect, the clear gaps between the painted patterns shouldn't exist bigger than 6 inches. Otherwise, cardinals will proceed crashing into them.

6. Install External Shutters

If you want a permanent solution, consider installing electric external shutters. Keeping those shutters closed when you don't need the sunlight will surely put an end to bird accidents.

Awnings and sunshades will technically block the external reflection, simply cardinals may still fly into the window if you accept indoor plants. If you still want to go with awnings, consider pairing them upward with internal defunction or blinds.

7. Relocate Your Bird Feeder

If you have a bird feeder in your backyard, place information technology within 3–4 feet away from your windows.

This way, birds won't gain enough momentum before hitting the window, which should minimize the chance of serious injuries.

8. Plow Off the Lights

As I said before, cardinals might mistake a lit window for a star when flying during the nighttime. Always turn off the lights before leaving a room, or close the blinds whenever possible.

Conclusion

Cardinals are naturally territorial, so they'll wing into windows if they perceive their reflection as some other cardinal invading their territory. When the mating season ends, they may yet dart at windows if they can't realize at that place's a physical barrier blocking the way.

To solve this problem, you should brand your windows look opaque, or at least break upward the outdoor reflection. Yous can use duct record, decals, tempera pigment, or privacy films.

Fly high friends!

Source: https://birdwatchingpro.com/why-do-cardinals-fly-into-windows/

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