This year's window tapper is a Song sparrow.
Can you spot him in the window?
He is quite persistent,
but I have enjoyed his beautiful song, when he
perches high in the adjacent
Holly or Japanese Maple,
as pictured here:
He certainly battles his reflection nemesis, but can also see inside too,
as he peers
curiously at Latte cat
here:
We have had battling crows and robins too. Other curious peekers have included
a frequent squirrel:
and today, a doe:
Our windows are tinted and reflective. Birds, even animals, in seeing their own reflection, may interpret it as an intruder to their breeding or feeding territory and attack their "Doppelgaenger", trying to chase it away. They will peck furiously, beat at the window with their wings and even claw, exhausting themselves and sometimes even injuring themselves.
Birds you might expect to see exhibiting this behavior include: American goldfinch, American robin, Chipping sparrow, Song sparrow, Northern cardinal, Northern mockingbird, Eastern towhee, etc.
Here are some suggestions I have used or found on other sites to discourage this behavior:
1. Set up a bobbing headed bird of prey, such as this owl, from Home Depot:
2. Consider soaping the window
3. Put up a physical barrier such as netting or a screen
4. Put, lean or hang branches or distracting objects by the window
5. Attach adhesive silhouettes of bird of preys or any bird:
6. Keep the curtains closed, which might help reduce the reflection.
These sites offer more information:
It has been a week now, the pecking has stopped and the Song sparrow has moved on. Typically, pecking will end after breeding season has passed.
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