Rogue Cardinal Hen Terrorizing Home

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Po Monkey Lounger
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Rogue Cardinal Hen Terrorizing Home

Postby Po Monkey Lounger » Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:22 pm

Love is in the air at the Po Monkey estate, at least with respect to the birds. There are cardinals, robins, sparrows, and doves mating, nesting, and hatching chicks throughout my yard.

Of particular interest is a cardinal hen that has become quite a pest. For the past two weeks, this bird has been perching in an ornamental tree outside the front window of our house, and every now and then flys into the window, striking it with her short and apparently very hard beak. She will do this about three to four times in a row, then stop for a few minutes, and then repeat. She strikes the window with such force that you think that the window could break and are amazed that the bird did not knock itself out cold.

When my wife and I first noticed it, we thought "how cute", that cardinal does not realize there is a window there ---hoping she would not injure herself. However, after about the third or fourth series of her banging against the window, we were thinking "how annoying" ---how can we get rid of this dang bird. As indicated above, this bird has continued this behavior now for about two weeks. Were it not for the likilihood that the bird has a nearby nest and is incubating eggs or feeding and nurturing newly hatched chicks, she would be dead at this very moment. :twisted:

We have tried scaring her away with objects hung in the window ---- a fake owl, a Macardi squirrel, the cover of a MS Woods and Water mag depicting a turkey, etc. ---nothing works. At first the bird sheepishly pecks at the window, and then when she sees nothing bad has happened, she resumes her annoying routine, ignoring the faux predator in the window.

When she is not flying into the window, she is sitting on the bottom ledge of the window looking at us with those beedy little eyes. If we move toward the window and the nearby front door, she flies off. She leaves every now and then for several hours (presumably to tend to her nest), and then returns to resume this routine.

At first I thought that she might be seeing her reflection in the window, and attacking it to protect her nest, thinking it was another bird. But, that theory has gone out the window(no pun intended) since the bird will bang against the window in the early morning hours before sun up and in the evening after it is getting dark.

Does anyone on this board know what is going on with this crazy booty bird? I have never seen anything like it, or as annoying. Not even a woodpecker is this bad.
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regishay
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Postby regishay » Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:58 pm

I believe those birds are territoral when it comes to their nest, try covering the window completly with something. If anything it will keep your window from getting cracked.
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Postby crow » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:30 am

Man, I'm ready to kill the cardinals in my yard. They have crapped all over my truck as they peck at their reflections in the side mirrors and rear window. They will sit on the bed and peck and fuss with their reflections for hours...crapping all the while! They better be glad they are pretty and my wife likes looking at them!
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Postby h2o_dog » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:22 am

Sounds like mama is trying to protect her nest from her own reflection in the glass? The "predators" may actually be threatening her even more and adding to the problem?
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Po Monkey Lounger
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Postby Po Monkey Lounger » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:23 am

Maybe that IS it ---- the hen in my yard may be very territorial during her nesting and IS attacking her own reflection in our windows, even in low light conditions. I have lived at the home I am in since 1991 and have never experienced this with a bird before now ----it is insane. :shock:

Now, when I move in a few months, and the little bitch follows us to the new residence, I will then know for sure that she is possessed by a demon, as I currently suspect. :lol:

I wish the cardinal hen could be as peaceful as the dove hen that is nesting on the top rail of my backyard fence surrounded by thick honeysuckle. I discovered her the other day when mowing. Unaware of her presence, she allowed me to get within just a foot or two or her before she flushed, scaring the living crap out of me. Now that we know where she is, we have given her some space and watched from a distance. She diligently and QUIETLY sits on her nest. I'm looking forward to getting a glimpse or two of the baby chicks once they hatch ---I have never seen baby doves before. 8)

Like I said, our yard is like a mini wild kingdom with respect to bird activity. :D
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Labs & Ducks
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Postby Labs & Ducks » Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:11 am

Try putting a rubber snake on the outside window ledge. I've seen my grandfather use this tactic many times with success.
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Postby tunica » Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:14 am

one phrase

The Birds beware of the Birds
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Postby Chuckle12 » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:00 pm

We have a sparrow nesting in our mail bin on the front porch of the house. She used to fly off every time I would get near the box to get the mail out. Now she just sits burrowed back in her nest watching me while I reach into the box just inches from her nest to get the mail. Pretty neat...
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Postby Spoonallard » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:15 pm

Birdie, Birdie, In the snow
Broken wing and frozen toe.
I brought him in and fed him bread
THEN I SMUSHED HIS "@#$%#" HEAD!










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Postby Don Miller » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:50 pm

Sounds like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. :wink:
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Postby savethehens » Wed Apr 27, 2005 3:05 pm

talking about birds I know some of yall have had some birds nest up on your porch and everytime you walk out all hell breaks loose. Its like WWIII
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Money
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Postby Money » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:26 pm

Hey Po'Monk, take that bent Mossberg outside and shoot her booty. :lol:
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Po Monkey Lounger
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Postby Po Monkey Lounger » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:37 pm

Great idea. I could be looking at her, beedy eye to beedy eye, with gun barrel out the door, hooking to the right around the corner of the house, directly at her, smile and pull the trigger. Kinda like teeing off with a wicked right slice on a right dogleg fairway. :lol:
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