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Birds attacking windows
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Robins are among several bird species that are known to peck at windows
Image: Andy Hay
This behaviour is particularly prominent during the breeding
season, but can also happen at other times of the year,
particularly by birds such as robins and grey wagtails who hold
winter territories.
There is no apparent reason to what triggers an individual bird
suddenly start this behaviour, and it cannot be predicted how
intense it will be and how long it will go on for.
Although most birds engaging in this behaviour do not hurt
themselves in the process, many people look for ways to stop it,
either because they are concerned for the bird, or because it is an
irritation to themselves.
The only way to stop this behaviour is to remove the
trigger – the reflection. This means putting something
such as cling film or non-reflective cellophane on the outside of
the window.
Once the reflection has disappeared, the attacks should stop.
Newspaper can also be used, but some birds tear it off thinking
that the adversary is hiding behind the paper. Curtains made of
strips of plastic that flutter in a breeze may also be
effective.
Often birds habitually attack only a particular window, but
sometimes different windows may be attacked in sequence depending
on the position of the sun. The behaviour sequence can sometimes be
broken if the first window in the sequence is treated.