# Bird Identification help (please) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752 "2013-01-10T16:00:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/21 "2013-01-11T15:46:16Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > \*\*CannyDan \*\*- I’m a bachelor and would have thought that the windows were dirty enough to prevent the mirror affect already! 🙂 Thank for the advice, I’ll give it a go. The little bastard woke me up this morning banging against the window. > > Thanks to all who responded. It takes a pretty hefty coating of casual grunge to block the mirror effect, depending on the angle at which the sun strikes your windows. That amount of airborne crud would probably obviate your need for drapes 😃 . When I said “paint” you can also loosely interpret that to “smear”. You don’t need to actually employ a paint brush, just a sponge or soft rag. Be sure to use sufficient powder to make a goop that is substantial enough to prevent or diffuse that reflection, not just a light discoloration on the windows. The effect you want to achieve is frosted white window glass. Oh, and you may find that the bird actually ‘fights’ at window sill level, where he can stand and attack his reflection best. So it may only be necessary to white out the lower portion of the window(s). Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/22 "2013-01-11T17:37:20Z")
\*\* thunk \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/23 "2013-01-11T18:04:28Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > \*\* thunk \*\* :mad: Don’t you start with me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/24 "2013-01-11T18:19:18Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Is it possible that cardinals in the midwest have more orange beaks than, say, those in other parts of the country? There’s a world of difference between red and orange, in my view, and around here, the females definitely have orange beaks. I am not aware of any systematic regional variation in female beak color. Although females have somewhat more orange bills than males, as I said to my eyes the color is generally rather more red than orange. All major bird field guides use “red” in the description of the female’s bill color but not all say “orange”: Sibley “red-orange,” National Geographic “reddish” (both sexes), Peterson “red,” Stokes “orangish red.” The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology says [“bright red bill.”](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id) A Google image search on “female cardinal” will also show many females with quite bright red bills. Maybe the birds in your area have a carotenoid deficiency.😉 > [@Khadaji](#): > > Location: Southern Pennsylvania. (doesn’t the location display for others? I see it right under my screen name.) :smack: Sorry, I overlooked it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/25 "2013-01-11T20:25:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > \ > > :smack: Sorry, I overlooked it. 🙂 BTW, I wasn’t being sarcastic, I just wasn’t sure if it appears for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/26 "2013-01-11T20:49:58Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > 🙂 BTW, I wasn’t being sarcastic, I just wasn’t sure if it appears for everyone. We mods see all and know all.🙂 Seriously, we see stuff that doesn’t appear to regular posters, like links to deleted threads. We’re also unable to put posters on “ignore.” ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/27 "2013-01-12T01:38:08Z")
Does it attack your windows all year round or just in fall and early winter? We had a crabapple tree in our back yard, and birds would eat the dropped apples, which were fermenting, and then attack the windows. The kind of bird isn’t the issue, it’s the blood alcohol level… ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/28 "2013-01-12T01:48:24Z")
> [@Notassmartasithought](#): > > We had a crabapple tree in our back yard, and birds would eat the dropped apples, which were fermenting, and then attack the windows. The kind of bird isn’t the issue, it’s the blood alcohol level… In glut years for wild grapes, we get drunken grouse and turkey. It’s surprising how intimidating a bald headed, dangly-necked, clumsy bird can be when hopped up on juice. Couple months ago one hammered hen picked a fight with a garden rake. She won (I think) but her victory strut led her smack into the side of the shed. Darn shame. They need a support group. ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/29 "2013-01-12T02:02:25Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > In glut years for wild grapes, we get drunken grouse and turkey. It’s surprising how intimidating a bald headed, dangly-necked, clumsy bird can be when hopped up on juice. Couple months ago one hammered hen picked a fight with a garden rake. She won (I think) but her victory strut led her smack into the side of the shed. > > Darn shame. They need a support group. A wild turkey sober can be intimidating as hell, there’s a reason old Ben thought they should be the national bird. Domesticated turkeys in a large group, because they’re dumb as anything, can also be a handful. But loaded? I can’t imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/30 "2013-01-12T02:30:55Z")
> [@Notassmartasithought](#): > > Does it attack your windows all year round or just in fall and early winter? > > We had a crabapple tree in our back yard, and birds would eat the dropped apples, which were fermenting, and then attack the windows. The kind of bird isn’t the issue, it’s the blood alcohol level… Yeah, all year. ---
**Author:** ![Notassmartasithought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c0e974/32.png) [@Notassmartasithought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notassmartasithought)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/31 "2013-01-12T02:48:32Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Yeah, all year. And…I’m of no help.:o ---
**Author:** ![Pacific420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Pacific420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pacific420)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/32 "2013-01-12T02:55:27Z")
isn’t as colorful, and the beak definitely has a red tint. Maybe it’s the female of the species? Males are the more colourful in order to detract predators ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/33 "2013-01-12T03:23:56Z")
> [@CannyDan](#): > > I won’t join the ID debate without a picture, but the OP asked how to stop its behavior and for this I may have an answer. We get “bird attacking window” queries all the time. Almost always it is a territorial defense behavior. The bird sees its reflection in the window, believes it to be an interloper, and attacks. The behavior is often self reinforcing. Every time the bird patrols that spot in its territory, dang if the interloper isn’t there! Which causes the bird to return more and more often… I think of the following, the opening of the Nabakov masterpiece _Pale Fire_, whenever I notice or read about the phenomenon: CANTO 1 I was the shadow of the waxwing slain By the false azure in the windowpane I was the smudge of ashen fluff–and I Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky, ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752/34 "2013-01-12T03:53:53Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > I think of the following, the opening of the Nabakov masterpiece _Pale Fire_, whenever I notice or read about the phenomenon: > > CANTO 1 > > I was the shadow of the waxwing slain > By the false azure in the windowpane > I was the smudge of ashen fluff–and I > Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky, Interesting. We actually see quite a few bundles of ashen fluff who in full flight have misperceived an azure sky and hit that windowpane rather too hard for mortal tissue, but slightly before their shade flies off into the reflected sky. Sad to be unwilling participants in their crossing over. Others that hit with somewhat less velocity are amenable to medical intervention. But the ones who become pugilistic with their own reflections rarely sustain significant damage. Their glass opponents seem incapable of inflicting injury. Funny how that happens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification-help-please/646752.md?page=1)