Insane cardinal

[jcmseven]

Fellow Posters,

As a Gold level member, I have posted on lots of topics, but none have been non-mechanical, until now. I live in a wooded rural area, and each spring and summer we have a cardinal arrive we have dubbed the Kamikaze Cardinal. This is a male cardinal who seemingly has determined our house is a competitor for his mate. He begins at 6:00 am pounding the walls and windows of our house and flying around. He defecates on our vehicles and has smudged all our windows. This initially last year went on a month, but this year he is already into his second month and some I have heard can do this all year!!!! He also has found our twins" (seven months) nursery window and pecks and pounds relentlessly on it. Several times he has scared them and they have awakened from their naps frightened and crying. We have tried most of the non-violent things I can think of including putting up some mirrors in our lawn to distract him; lowering the blinds so that his reflection is non-threatening to him; verbally assaulting him to scare him from an area, which works only temporarily. I am at the point of just BBing him, but we have other birds on site that we want, including three piliated woodpeckers, so I do not wish to disturb the bird preserve we have here. Even as I write this, I hear him pounding on our window upstairs, but by the time I get up there, he will be down here, or pooping on my wife's new car. Help is appreciated, or if the group feels I have exhausted all possibilities, I would feel better about gunning him down, because I am ready to do that if needed.

John M

 

[EddieWalker]

Cardinals are protected in most places, so it would be illegal to kill one. Never admit to a crime on a public forum.

If it was to die of mysterious causes, it would not affect the other birds. They would have to have some sort of preasure on them to drive them away.

A one time event wouldn't do this.

If it was me and this was happening to my home, I'd sure do all I could to incourage an accident on his end that was permanent.

Eddie

 

[JimR]

If that were me. He would be mounted by now as a game piece. I would not tolerate such behavoir from any creature. What happens if you let your little ones outside and he decides to peck them in the eyes. Take care of him now before you regret it.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Every year for about the last six years we have a Cardinal or a Blue Jay do exactly the same thing. (sounds as if baseball season is about to start). It's a DIFFERENT bird every year. As they take up residence, they seem to be attack their own reflection in the glass as they patrol their territory. It starts early in the morning and it keeps our dogs barking all day until I can't stand it any more.

I did trap one one year. I drove 20 miles away and released it. Darned thing beat me home but I did stop for coffee on the way. It obviously didn't drink coffee. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SPIKER]

there is a bIRD netting that is hung inside many warehouses & food MFG plants which is designed to slightly trap a bird, they can get free easy enough but will scare the begerbers out of them usually it is black and very fine stranded (you an barely see it looking straight on like a sheet hanging on a line but from the tight angle looking down the sides you can notice it.. hang these over the windows for a few weeks the bird will get cought up at least once and realize it is a danger and won't come near it again. otherwise there is a less costly quicker way and is one hundred 100% garrenteed to work & only requires small amounts of lead based materials. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

mark M

 

[beenthere]

Well, I just read the title of the thread and was sure what you were going to discuss. I was right.

Shotgun or bird shot in the .22 and don't say anything. That has happened to one cardinal, and I think 3 robins, and one Jenny wren over the last 25 years. Seems only one has the 'bad habit' or the 'insanity' that causes this. Only one cure, IMO. Not something I brag about, but it happens on occasion. Killing one may temporarily chase the others away but not for long. Your sanctuary will remain the same, sans one loony introverted cardinal.

Now, two weeks ago, I thought I'd have the same problem but it was with 7 Tom turkeys, that saw their reflection in my shop window which is ground level. Several would peck at the reflection but one started beating it with its wing. Really though the glass storm pane would break (its about 3' square). I took a picture from the inside just inches away and not even the flash caused them to stop or go away. The last time, opening the window and then shouting worked, and although there are signs they came back (dirtier window glass), I haven't seen them near it lately.
But if one happens to get in any bad habits, there is a shotgun ready and an oven for the remains. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If noise in the neighborhood is a problem, then get a rat trap and set it at the window. Likely you will catch the culprit. It works great for woodpeckers that continue to peck on the cedar siding on my house. Shotgun works too. Not all behave badly, but once in a while one does, and its removal cures the problem and the others go merrily about there normal routine. Life is tough sometimes. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[beenthere]

Here is the Tom up close making a 'move' on the reflection in the glass.

 

[frank29]

Your posting reminds me of a bird "attacking" a window. My incident was no where near as severe as yours; but, there is a little similarity. Years ago, one of my kids told me a bird was repeatedly flying into the window. I hate to admit it; but, I was doubtful as I walked to the bedroom.

Sure enough, this bird would perch on a limb, gather its resolve and fly full speed into the window! Each time, the impact was so severe the noise was startling and the bird would fall to the ground stunned for a few minutes only to regroup, return to a nearby limb and, in 5 minutes or so, repeat the process.

If it hadn't been for the kids, I would have removed that bird's genes from its species gene pool one of the times it was literally laying on the ground recuperating.

There was various items on the window sill....when these were removed the mad bomber lost interest.

 

[Mosby]

We had two. The operative word is had. It was instilled in me as a child that I would never kill a Cardinal. One attacked five of our 6x6 windows relentlessly. He dirtied them so badly, it was embarrassing. My wife kept pleading with me to deal with it. Her prodding eventually overrode anything that had been instilled. The other one attacked the car side view mirrors. The doors were covered in bird dung. I didn't need any prodding with that one. The best advise I can give is pellet gun!!

 

[chim]

I suffered no remorse when the one that did this on a regular basis suddenly "went missing" as the bubble-headed bleach blondes are fond of saying....................chim