# What can I do about this bird attacking its reflection...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 12, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825 "2007-04-12T17:25:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/1 "2007-04-12T17:25:42Z")
…at my window?
I first tried turning on the light in that room, thinking that with more light inside there would be less of a reflection outside. It’s not working.
Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/2 "2007-04-12T17:39:17Z")
I’ve heard that hanging CDs on strings or wire behind the window can help (or is that to keep birds from crashing into the window because they don’t see the glass?).
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/3 "2007-04-12T17:39:55Z")
Try taping sheets of paper on the glass until he gets the hint. He’s probably trying to fuck himself.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/4 "2007-04-12T17:46:10Z")
We had a cardinal that did that. THUD…THUD…THUD…on and on and on, for _two summers_. We tried everything. Nothing worked.
My advice? Learn to tune it out. If the bird’s gonna, he’s just gonna.
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### Author:  [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/5 "2007-04-12T17:47:42Z")
hang a black cutout of a predator on the window…hawk, whatever is the predator in your area.
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### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/6 "2007-04-12T17:48:56Z")
I would fashion a little goatee for the bird and attach it below the beak… he will not recognize the reflection as a bird. Voila! Problem solved.
You’re welcome.
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### Author:  [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/7 "2007-04-12T17:57:37Z")
It’s probably a cardinal - they go crazy attacking the windows this time of year!
Bird silhouettes taped to the window may help. Go [here](http://www.ernest-charles.com/acatalog/Ernest_Charles_Deterrents___Hygiene_8.html) and scroll down until you see the bird silhouettes. You can copy that photo, enlarge it, print it, and tape it to your window.
wow!! Lots of replies while I was looking for bird silhouettes!!
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/8 "2007-04-12T18:13:21Z")
Open the window and let him in. You have a new friend!
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### Author:  [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/9 "2007-04-12T19:40:34Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV]
Open the window and let him in. You have a new friend!
[/QUOTE]
I’m sure my cats would love that!
Gotta go, but I’ll be back ASAP to respond to the other suggestions.
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### Author:  [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/10 "2007-04-12T19:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=williamweigand]
I’m sure my cats would love that!
Gotta go, but I’ll be back ASAP to respond to the other suggestions.
[/QUOTE]
Oy well if you have cats then your problem is solved right there. Let him in and let them take care of the rest 😃
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### Author:  [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/11 "2007-04-12T20:00:19Z")
:eek:
OK, I’ll amend that. Open the window so he flies into the screen. Seeing the cats will (hopefully) scare him off in the future.
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### Author:  [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/12 "2007-04-12T20:03:10Z")
Lure the bird away from the window with a life-size replica of Tippi Hedren.
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### Author:  [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/13 "2007-04-12T20:31:40Z")
Try taping up a picture of a cat. My parents did this when we had a bird smacking into our window when I was a SpazKitten. That picture stayed on the window for years and no bird ever smacked into it again.
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/14 "2007-04-12T20:43:24Z")
Rig a shotgun to a motion sensor.
Put a booby trap warning sign on your outside wall so burglars will try another window.
Oh, never mind. Some idiot will look in the window to see how you rigged the shotgun and, BOOM!
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/15 "2007-04-12T20:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
Try taping sheets of paper on the glass until he gets the hint. He’s probably trying to fuck himself.
[/QUOTE]
yep. I saw one last year, perched on a rearview mirror on a car, doing quite the mating dance ritual.
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### Author:  [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/16 "2007-04-13T13:34:11Z")
I just got a better look at him and, as **LabDad** suspected, it is a cardinal.
I appreciate everyone’s suggestions - even the not-so-serious ones. (The suggestion to attach a goatee under its beak especially gave me a laugh!)
I’m surprised, and a little glad, that no one suggested a Google search on the topic. I did so this morning, and the range of ideas on the first page alone was quite extensive. Different sites conflicted with others. For instance, hanging or attaching bird silhouettes was recommended on one site, but another said it won’t work.
You are all welcome to proffer more solutions to this problem, but if this turns out to be the final post in this thread, I’d be neither surprised nor disappointed.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-about-this-bird-attacking-its-reflection/399825/17 "2007-04-13T14:33:21Z")
Is there some reason you can’t go outside with a butterfly net, trap the little bastard, and fry him up for dinner?