Bad Birdie!!

[vernsgal]

Okay I have a non city problem. I have this stupid Robin who has this love/hate
relationship with my new windows. He starts hammering on them at about 4:30 am and continues through the day.
New home, new windows. I have tried covering them, putting decals of black birds, even bought a plastic owl and stuck it out there. He still loves himself.
Has anyone had this problem?? Any suggestions? ( and don't say shoot it cause I can't!! at least not yet )

 

[cooldood]

You have to cover the window for about 3 days. This time of year they are nesting and he sees his reflection as an intruder.
He is really only concerned about "other" robins so the plastic owl thing will not work

 

[Julie]

lol, we had a robin that would try to peck the daylights out of the hubcap on our trailer. It was hilarious but then again he wasn't beating on my window 4:30 in the morning. Like Cooldood says cover it for a few days and that should do the trick.

 

[Rocky]

Our experience is with female Cardinals. They peck at the windows on the side of our home near their nest. As was pointed out above, they think it is "competition" and they are trying to eliminate it. It normally lasts for about a week or so and they either give up or determine that the "other bird" is not really a danger.

 

[vernsgal]

Thanks everyone. Covering them isn't really an option though. I tried covering the ones I can reach but bad birdie just picks another window. As you can see in pic there's a lot to cover . He goes at the side ones too.
I read drawing a small grid with highlighter on inside of window works. Has anyone tried that?

 

[JohnT]

I have a lot of issues like this. I just sigh and put with it. I say to myself "such is life in the country".

 

[vernsgal]

Well not to jinx anything but I haven't had bad birdie hit in 2 days. I hung reflector tape on the back windows and drew a grid with the yellow highlighter on side windows. The highlighter is kinda neat because you don't see it (If you go up and look closely you can). I've read that eventually the birds get used to everything but for now I get to sleep past 4:30 am

 

[berrycrush]

There is a robin nesting on my garage opener right now, and she occasionally redecorate my car with you know what. I can't wait when her chicks hatch and get out there. ... I don't even live in the country!

 

[vernsgal]

There is a robin nesting on my garage opener right now, and she occasionally redecorate my car with you know what. I can't wait when her chicks hatch and get out there. ... I don't even live in the country!

hahaha ya I hear you. I don't even want to mention the mess on my car. Paradise here definitely has a few pitfalls. Luckily retirement gives me plenty of time to wash my car.
It was the sleep deprivation that was getting to me

 

[reefman]

If it doesn't improve, then relocate the nest. If he comes back next year and starts building a new nest, tear it down.
Sounds cruel, but they will get the message.
Robins aren't all that bad, I have to deal with big hawks who attack and eat the Robins (on my deck to boot), blue herons who fish my pond (without a fishing license), and Bald Eagles who keep the rabbit and squirrel populations down, but don't touch the groundhogs and skunks.
Oh yeah, and then there's the night shift...Racoons who also fish my pond without a license, and a red fox who barks at the neighbors cat in the middle of the night (the cat will win for sure, so the fox keeps his distance.)

 

[vernsgal]

If it doesn't improve, then relocate the nest. If he comes back next year and starts building a new nest, tear it down.
Sounds cruel, but they will get the message.
Robins aren't all that bad, I have to deal with big hawks who attack and eat the Robins (on my deck to boot), blue herons who fish my pond (without a fishing license), and Bald Eagles who keep the rabbit and squirrel populations down, but don't touch the groundhogs and skunks.
Oh yeah, and then there's the night shift...Racoons who also fish my pond without a license, and a red fox who barks at the neighbors cat in the middle of the night (the cat will win for sure, so the fox keeps his distance.)

haha you never mentioned a huge white owl that hoots all night!

 

[Turock]

Every year, I have a bluebird fighting with its reflection in my dining room window. I have a floor lamp that I use as a work light and I move it to the front window and put a hooded sweatshirt over it. The bird sees it as a person and stops pecking at the window. Works great year after year.

 

[Hokapsig]

mulched a bird with the lawn tractor. the birds were starting to eat my strawberries and one decided not to move as I was mowing the lawn. So now the birds and I have an understanding. They start to look at the strawberries, I get out the tractor....