Experts explain why a bird is pecking at its reflection in a window or mirror and how you can stop this breeding season behavior.
Why Is a Bird Pecking at My Window and Car Mirror?
Updated on Feb. 06, 2024
How to Stop a Bird From Pecking at a Window
“A cardinal is pecking at my window constantly. How do I make it stop?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Kay Baker of Mercer, Pennsylvania.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “When a bird starts pecking at a window like that, it has mistaken its own reflection for another bird and is trying to drive it away. Some individuals become obsessed with these phantom rivals and may attack them for weeks.
The only real solution is to do away with the reflection itself. You need to block the reflection on the outside of the glass. Putting an exterior screen on the window is one simple solution. If that isn’t possible, try rubbing a bar of soap on the outside of your windows in all the spots that the bird visits regularly. Or tape a piece of paper or plastic over those areas. If none of those options are feasible, you can just wait.
The cardinal should lose its drive to defend its territory after the breeding season wanes. Even if you can’t block all the reflections, this behavior should end after a few weeks.”
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Birds Pecking at Car Mirrors
“Why do cardinals peck at my vehicle’s side mirror?” asks reader Patricia Ekakiadis of Avonmore, Pennsylvania.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Cardinals, like many other birds, defend a territory during the nesting season to make sure they have enough space and food for themselves, their mate and their young. If a male cardinal sees another male cardinal in his territory, he chases the trespasser away.
Unfortunately, he can’t tell the difference between a real cardinal and a reflection in a mirror. So he might spend hours trying to chase away this false intruder that can’t be intimidated. You might try covering the mirror when you’re not driving your car so this defensive cardinal can go about his business.”
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About the Experts
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the duo behind the Kaufman Field Guide series and speak and lead bird trips all over the world. If you have a bird-related question for them, submit it here! It could appear here or in a future issue of the magazine.
