One Sunday morning my neighbor came over because she needed help. She had a huge problem and it was starting to drive the entire family crazy. She asked me, "WHY is there a cardinal slamming itself against the living room window? It won't stop and it has been days! What can we do to make this stop?"

Why is there a cardinal slamming itself against her living room window? He sees his reflection. It's really that simple and it's more common than you would think. We are asked about this behavior two seasons out of the year; winter and summer.In the winter it's usually the cardinal and in the summer it's usually the robin that exhibits these behaviors.When the male sees its reflection it does not think, "Oh, hey, don't I look handsome today?"So what's any self-respecting bird to do? Now maybe, just maybe, it's a lady bird he sees and he has to make her acquaintance.When that doesn't pan out the only other realization is this interloper is another male and is in his territory.The first thing he will do is vocalize to let this newcomer know he is not welcome and to move along.It's the same thing when you yell at the neighbor's kid to get off your lawn. So if communicating his displeasure doesn't work now the chase is on. Hold on, what chase? Of course, he can't chase himself so his only other choice is to go on the attack. Now it's up to the homeowner to convince this bird that there is nothing to see, literally.Obviously, many people have had this happen and have gotten very creative in order to get this behavior to stop. While it might look odd to the neighbors, there are some things that can be done.When I was a kid my mother let us spray "snow in a can" all over every window. I thought it was because she was a cool mom, but now I wonder if possibly she was letting us have fun while keeping the birds away from our windows.The down side to this spray is it's messy to clean up. Using a bar of soap will accomplish the same thing. And, come spring the windows can be washed with that soap.Covering the windows with a sheet, a piece of cardboard or newspaper will stop the reflection. There is a very good possibility the bird will move on to another window but it shouldn't be necessary to cover up every window. I hope.Hawk silhouettes, cat faces, fake snakes, scarecrows or plastic owls might work short-term but birds are fairly quick to figure out what is really a threat and what isn't. Usually, once the bird knows the thing isn't moving, they become bolder and take more risks.Birds do not like things above their heads and they sure don't like shiny things above their heads. Wind chimes, Mylar balloons, aluminum pie plates, children's pinwheels or strips of foil hung near the window should work. Should work.I hated to break it to my neighbor, but sometimes the window crasher may keep up this behavior for a few weeks until something works. Or the bird simply gives up. I hope you never need any of these tips. If you have any others, please share.Jeannie Carl works at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center located at 151 W. White Bear Drive, Summit Hill. For information, please call 570-645-8597.