When bird watching gets personal!

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4-27-25, 2:10pm
Alan

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When bird watching gets personal!

Several weeks ago I was pleased to see that a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers had taken up residence in one of my backyard oaks. I've enjoyed sitting on the back deck and watching them as they go about their business and have been looking forward to seeing their babies as they get big enough to poke their little red heads out of the perfectly formed hole their parents created in the tree.

But, 6 days ago things changed and one (I think the male) began watching me. Every morning this past week one comes to one of my family room windows and begins pecking on the glass. This morning he actually woke me up just after daybreak while I was sleeping on the opposite side of the house, 70 feet and three rooms + hallway distant. Whenever I approach whatever window he's working on he simply moves on to the next one and continues. A few days ago he spent nearly an hour rat-a-tat-tatting on three different windows in my family room/kitchen area.

It's been cute to watch but this morning he was aggressive enough that I was afraid he'd break the window. Not sure what I want to do about that except hope for the best.

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4-27-25, 3:17pm
Tybee

Honestly, I would take that as someone from the other side trying hard to contact me. That is amazing.
4-27-25, 8:02pm
Rogar

I've heard that birds can attack windows during mating season thinking the reflection is a rival mate. But I do like Tybee's theory. If you close the blinds, does it still hit the window?

I had a bunch of flickers around my house one year and they would hammer on the stainless steel helmet on top of my fireplace insert pipe. Which would then travel down the pipe into the front room. I think it was some sort of courtship or territorial display, as it was springtime. I would throw little chunks of wood from the yard mulch at them and they would leave, but it probably didn't help anything much.
4-27-25, 8:17pm
littlebittybobby

okay---there's two sides to every story. So yeah--it would interesting to hear what the bird has to say about the alleged behaviors. yup.
4-27-25, 8:38pm
Tradd

Alan, I read elsewhere that a guy had the same problem. He opened the window and videoed the bird attacking the window. Next time it happens, he played it at full volume for the bird. The bird left and never returned. Worth a shot.
4-27-25, 8:46pm
catherine

Beautiful bird! But yeah, that is pretty aggressive. Good luck getting him to take a hint.
4-27-25, 9:30pm
Alan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogar

I've heard that birds can attack windows during mating season thinking the reflection is a rival mate.

That's what I'm thinking too. The windows on that side of the house are facing north east and I'm guessing the morning sun causes a reflection. He doesn't seem to be interested in attacking the windows later in the day.

Quote:

I had a bunch of flickers around my house one year and they would hammer on the stainless steel helmet on top of my fireplace insert pipe. Which would then travel down the pipe into the front room.

I've had that happen a couple of times on our chimney cap. The masonry chimney acts as an amplifier and really gets your attention.
4-28-25, 6:31am
rosarugosa

Pileated woodpeckers are so cool! I would have to go out and see what those windows look like at that time of day. I think Rogar's speculation about the reflection is spot-on.
4-28-25, 8:24am
ToomuchStuff

Find a movie called, the Humans, by some Hitchcock fellow and have it face the window.
4-28-25, 3:07pm
happystuff

Love Pileated Woodpeckers! Remember hiking once and seeing a pair flying around beside the path. One stopped at a tree right on the side and started decimating it. I was amazed at how quickly it worked! What a beak!
4-28-25, 6:43pm
early morning

well, Alan, seems it could be a lot worse!

Rampaging woodpecker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhN9vnOx59k
4-29-25, 6:35am
rosarugosa

Quote:

Originally Posted by early morning

well, Alan, seems it could be a lot worse!

Rampaging woodpecker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhN9vnOx59k

Wow, we had this with a robin on my husband's car several years back, but the objection was just to the bird poop all over the side of the car.
4-29-25, 10:33am
Alan

Wow indeed! Luckily for me my aggressive little peckerwood failed to stop by yesterday and I haven't seen him yet today. Hoping my windows will remain safe going forward.