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Crazy cardinal

 
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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There has been a male cardinal attacking his reflection and beating himself up on my windows for two weeks now from sunup to sundown! It's really annoying. I've tried putting photocopies of a scary owl face and a cat face on the windows, we've cut back the bushes to remove his perches, we've yelled at him, the dogs bark at him, but there he is - all day long banging on the windows (front and side of the house).

I feel like I'm in an Alfred Hitchcock movie!

How long he can go on?! He must not be eating very much.

Any ideas?
 
Posts: 156
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You could try putting a sheet/tarp/net outside the window, then maybe he will lose interest and fly away.
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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Nope, I want the light from that window and that would be too difficult anyway as the window is too high and has big bushes in front of it and there is no place to hang anything without putting holes in the siding. A friend has just suggested putting a lamp in front of the window so he can't see his reflection. I'll try that first.
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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Maybe he's sick!
Don-t-go-outside-.jpg
[Thumbnail for Don-t-go-outside-.jpg]
The-Birds.jpg
[Thumbnail for The-Birds.jpg]
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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I tried to turning on the inside lights but it doesn't seem to help.
Blood-on-the-window.jpg
[Thumbnail for Blood-on-the-window.jpg]
Crazed.jpg
[Thumbnail for Crazed.jpg]
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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Yikes! Crazy cardinal YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGGzxxR8NZ8
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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Someone else has had the same problem:

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/forums/thread/28779.aspx
 
Shawn Bell
Posts: 156
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That is awful to have blood on the windows.  If he wasn't crazy when he started Hitting your windows, he probably has brain damage now!

Maybe you could try some rubber snakes in the bushes?

Good Luck!
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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Good idea. I'm going to Rural King and buy a snake and an owl!  Thanks!!

He is still at it so I'm going RIGHT NOW!
 
Shawn Bell
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How did that work for you?
 
Christina Darling
Posts: 71
Location: East-Central Illinois
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I think it worked! We did not see him again after we hung the snake in the bushes and put the owl on a post close by.

I will know tomorrow. 
 
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
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we have a bird that likes to do the same thing but on the car side mirrors. hell sit there all day smashing himself. i think its hilarious.
 
Christina Darling
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Location: East-Central Illinois
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He moved to the front porch. We now have bird poop on the porch, the porch chair, and the loveseat.  I moved everything away from the windows but he is still there! Since he left the side of the house that has the rubber snake and owl, it looks like I will have to get another predator species for the front porch. A cat?
 
Posts: 488
Location: Foothills north of L.A., zone 9ish mediterranean
8
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why not get a fake male cardinal so he has some place to express his aggression? 
 
Christina Darling
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Location: East-Central Illinois
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My husband said that in the 21 years he has lived in this house he has never had this experience before! I really think the bird is sick from the Monsanto crops and Roundup herbacides all around us.     He doesn't look very good. His feathers are a mottled red and white and gray.
 
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
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hes been smashing into windows for days, i wouldn't think he would look good or healthy at this point.
 
Christina Darling
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Location: East-Central Illinois
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That is how he looked from the beginning.
 
Jonathan 'yukkuri' Kame
Posts: 488
Location: Foothills north of L.A., zone 9ish mediterranean
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Give him some chia or hemp seed dusted with a touch of chlorella.  See what happens.  Poor thing.
 
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