• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

  • Visit
    • Buy Tickets
    • Groups of 10 or More
    • Visitor Information
    • Events
    • Dining at the Museum
    • Celebrate at the Museum
    • Event Venue Rental
    • Shop
    • Powdermill Nature Reserve
    • Join & Give
  • Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • Field Trips
    • Educator Information
    • Programs at the Museum
    • Bring the Museum to You
    • Guided Programs FAQ
    • Programs Online
    • Climate and Rural Systems Partnership
    • We Are Nature Podcast
  • Research
    • Scientific Sections
    • Science Stories
    • Science Videos
    • Senior Science & Research Staff
    • Museum Library
    • Science Seminars
    • Scientific Publications
    • Specimen and Artifact Identification
  • About
    • Mission & Commitments
    • Directors Team
    • Museum History
  • Tickets
  • Shop

Who is that bird knocking at your window?

Male Northern Cardinal, a bright re d bird with black markings around its face

by Jonathan Rice

Many of us are excited that spring is just around the corner, and that includes the birds. As springtime comes into view, male birds, both residential and migratory, begin setting up and fighting over territories for the breeding season. This means males are more likely to call at and scold (an aggressive-natured call) other males of any species until they leave the territory.

This poses interesting problems for song birds, such as northern cardinals whose breeding plumage is bright red and can
often be reflected in windows (on cars or homes) and even side view mirrors. There have been reports of northern cardinal males flying into windows or side view mirrors over and over and over again, multiple times a day.

This may seem confusing and counterproductive to us, but to an enraged male, seeing another male in his territory can mean the end to his breeding season. So he fights the intruder—who is actually his reflection—but as he fights, his reflection fights back. This often causes a loop to form where the male fights his reflection, getting angrier as the reflected intruder never leaves.

While this sort of behavior does not normally end in fatality, it is a good representation of how windows can be deadly to birds. If a reflection is real enough to confuse a cardinal into attacking itself, other birds are likely to fly into windows thinking that vegetation or sky reflected in them are real.


Jon Rice is a seasonal tech at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences of working at the museum.

sidebar

About

  • Mission & Commitments
  • Directors Team
  • Museum History

Get Involved

  • Volunteer
  • Membership
  • Carnegie Discoverers
  • Donate
  • Employment
  • Events

Bring a Group

  • Groups of 10 or More
  • Birthday Parties at the Museum
  • Field Trips

Powdermill

  • Powdermill Nature Reserve
  • Powdermill Field Trips
  • Powdermill Staff
  • Research at Powdermill

More Information

  • Image Permission Requests
  • Science Stories
  • Accessibility
  • Shopping Cart
  • Contact
  • Visitor Policies
One of the Four Carnegie Museums | © Carnegie Institute | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Accessibility
Rad works here logo