Killer Cardinal - need help - Page 3

GL243 · 07-06-2018, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd99336

Why not just hang up an actual mirror somewhere in the vicinity and see if he will bang away at that instead of your window. We had a "vicious" quail doing the same thing to our home one time. I happened to be quite adept at making quail calls, so I would open the slider a little as he went after the tinted window and make calls while he attacked the slider. Sometimes I was laughing so hard it hurt, but eventually he would get tired and leave.....until the next day.....but it all stopped at the end of mating season.

We have owned a lot of birds as pets and the effect of a well placed mirror can be pretty wild. If the mirror is hanging, he shouldn't hurt himself with his blows.

This.

At least worth a try, and exactly what I was going to suggest til I saw the above reply, as I deterred a woodpecker (a Northern Flicker) pecking a hole in my house wood siding one year by tacking up a $5 mirror over the spot. In your case here, it appears the cardinal is attacking at his own reflection, so a better quality reflection might well result in him attacking the mirror instead of the window. You might trim away the nearest perching limbs also.

T-Roy · 07-06-2018, 02:37 PM

I just read the following over on the Dutchmen owners forum:

Also, as weird as it may sound, I found that aftershave/cologne keeps birds away - apparently, they can't stand the smell. Had a bird that would perch on my ladder and hammer away at his reflection in the camper, so read online about the cologne and no more birds on my ladder. LOL

Fourkoals · 07-11-2018, 11:50 AM

Hang streamers from the tree branch and let them hang in front of the window.

AKRUEBBE · 07-11-2018, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spook

Need a little help with this one: a cardinal keeps attacking himself in the window of my TT. I don't think he can hurt the glass with all his pecking and clawing, but his droppings and presence has become quite the nuisance. I first noticed him last year and tried some plastic bags taped to the window to no avail. I actually forgot about him this season until I was walking up today and saw him doing his thing. Any advice to get him to stop and/or get rid of him?

Here's some pics of our seasonal setup and the problem area:
Umm, well okay... I guess I can't post from TinyPic anymore since they don't do https.

Anyway, there's a walnut tree branch in close proximity to the TT window. He hangs out on the branch and attacks non stop. There's no nest in that particular tree, but there's at least 12 others trees nearby with a full woods behind the clearing.

I have a small chickadee that pecks on our back window constantly. I have to wipe bird "spit" off the window all the time! From the inside looking out, it appears as scratches but just bird stuff and he or she craps all over one of the ladder rungs!

tpstropes · 07-11-2018, 12:51 PM

I had the same issue on my last camping trip. Only he was attacking my tow vehicle. I think he had a nest close by and was seeing his reflection in the windows and mirrors. Try spraying a little bug spray on what ever he is attacking. The smell seem to keep my problem away.

Trophyduck · 07-13-2018, 05:07 AM

Nothing keeps them away and it WILL ruin your glass. My mirrors are ruined from Cardinals that just WON'T go away.....they have even flown along side the truck as I come up the driveway.
Tie a grocery bag around the mirror or pull them in. That is simple and keeps him off....only thing that worked for us.

wilderness john · 07-13-2018, 06:02 AM

Had same problem with robin! Remove the branch if you can, as they land and see what they think is another bird and they attack. If you can't remove the branch get bird spikes and Attach them to the branch.

Bird spikes on our fence, which is right next to the trailer window, solved our problem.
I did a search for bird spikes and I think I ordered from Amazon

Good luck

**norty1** · 07-13-2018, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Roy

I just read the following over on the Dutchmen owners forum:

Also, as weird as it may sound, I found that aftershave/cologne keeps birds away - apparently, they can't stand the smell. Had a bird that would perch on my ladder and hammer away at his reflection in the camper, so read online about the cologne and no more birds on my ladder. LOL

I would be interested to find out if his cologne repels women?

namusmc65 · 07-13-2018, 06:24 AM

We have the same problem at home. Cardinals attack truck and car mirrors as well as bedroom window in 5th wheel. Put our son and daughter in law up in 5th wheel one weekend and she came into the house all cranked up. She said you have just got to see this. She had taken a video of a cardinal through the bedroom window at 6:30 am waking them up. He would not go away. We thought it was hilarious. So far, no damage.

**norty1** · 07-13-2018, 06:27 AM

When camping in Fl. I have seen people with plastic bags over the side mirrors and boards or wheel covers over the wheels to prevent them from Preening.

Windows? Screening may be a solution.

TWP723 · 07-13-2018, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

I would be interested to find out if his cologne repels women?

If it's Brut by Faberge, yes. Yes it does.

GL243 · 07-13-2018, 06:56 AM

http://www.amazon.com/Window-Alert-W...79214429&psc=1

If desperate enough, perhaps this product is worth a try. I'm generally very skeptical of commercial wildlife control products that have not been scientifically evaluated, and many are marketed hoping for enough "placebo effect" to make money even when they don't really work, but, what the heck . . .

GL243 · 07-13-2018, 07:46 AM

Interesting remedy involving use of a cheap highlighter pen, google "Texas Parks and Wildlife Service how to stop birds from attacking window" (I can't paste a usable link here for some reason). This sounds like better odds of working than my other suggestions, and would cost next to nothing to try.
A written description is at this link, although you'll probably have to Google it since the link doesn't work:
https://dengarden.com/misc/Why-is-ro...king-my-window

spook · 07-13-2018, 06:45 PM

Thank you everyone for the advice and suggestions.

I'm happy to report the landscaping fabric attached to the window with suction cup hooks has been a huge success. The frequency of visits to the walnut tree branch by my killer cardinal friend have decreased substantially. He still visits, but since he doesn't see his reflection any longer he moves on after a short period of time. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he's puffed up and proud of himself for showing that "other" cardinal who the boss was in these parts.

The best part is no more scratches to the decal over the window and droppings up and down the side. An added benefit of the fabric is that it's thin enough we can still see through it from the inside.

jloco · 07-13-2018, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodworker

I wish I could get to a coast for some fishing. I miss it more than I can say, more so the offshore fishing. Maybe one day if we make it to Texas I'll look ya up and we can f we t sone trout or flounder

My favorite pastime! Went fluke and Black Sea bass fishing earlier in the week. Tuna are just starting to arrive around cape cod!

spark of insanity · 07-14-2018, 11:27 AM

I am thinking he sees himself in the window and sees it as a threat. I would try to remove the reflection by either putting a curtain up or removing the way the window reflects. Birds hate other birds in their area. So he of all things think his reflection is an enemy. Check the time of day he does this and if there is a reflection? Then either hang a curtain up or remove the way the window reflects. Good luck. If all else fails call animal control or a bird person. Never know. He may just have a thing for your camper.

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