10 Effective Ways To Stop Cardinals From Attacking Windows

I bet nobody would love the sight of a cardinal flying into their windows regularly—and to be honest, this is one of the most annoying experiences.

While there are several recommendations on how you can stop cardinals from attacking your windows, most of these methods either leave your window looking ugly or just don’t work. 

Before throwing in the towel and concluding that nothing works, read through this guide for practical approaches: You’ll understand everything you need to know about stopping cardinals from attacking your windows.

First, let’s find out why cardinals attack your windows.

Why Do Cardinals Attack My Windows?

Your house windows usually act as mirrors to cardinals. Consequently, when a cardinal gets closer to the window, they think an intruder intends to attack them. They (cardinals), therefore, get aggressive with your window, trying to keep the “intrude” away.

However, this is not just common to the cardinals—it also happens with other birds, such as robins. The mirror gives them a reflection of themselves and triggers the same intruder defense.

What are Cardinals Afraid of?

Cardinals are always afraid of larger birds, such as blue jays, as they are the most common bully birds. Contrary to popular opinion, cardinals are afraid of small and medium-sized songbirds.

Cardinals also fear prey birds like owls, hawks, ospreys, etc.

10 Effective Ways To Stop Cardinals From Attacking Windows

1. Get Some Lines on Your Window

Get a highlighter and draw some horizontal and vertical lines. These lines are effective because birds will see them while humans won’t.

Don’t worry about how you’ll get rid of the highlighter marker because you can easily clean it using a window cleaner. If you aren’t comfortable using a highlighter marker, use a paint marker instead.

Note: To better implement this strategy, take advantage of a large-level tool to get the lines drawn straight. If you’re not a big fan of straight lines, use freehand to achieve the same effect.

2. Pull the Curtains

If you have curtains that attract the cardinals to your windows, you should try and pull them, especially when the cardinals mostly show up. By pulling off the curtains, you’ll limit the chances of seeing their reflection.

3. Get Some Tape For Your Windows

First, you must understand that cardinals don’t attack your windows accidentally.

A bird tape is durable and makes it easier for you to get some line spacing on your window so that the cardinal can see a barrier. Most people who’ve used this method have found it to be one of the most effective ways of stopping cardinal attacks.

Also, note that the tape will allow some light since it’s translucent, though the view will be obscured. Also, this tape is durable and can last up to four years after installation.

You can also tint the tape to blend with your home color.

4. Start Hanging Snakes

This is a newer method (but growing in popularity) of stopping cardinals from attacking windows. To test the effectiveness of this method, one man bought some rubber snakes and put them around his window.

The man admitted that the cardinals didn’t notice the presence of the rubber snakes initially, but once they did, the cardinals didn’t take chances with pecking or attacking the windows.

5. Leverage External Sun Shades

Sunshades will aid in preventing sunlight reflection, meaning transparency will be limited when you include sunshades in your windows.

Sunshades are usually in various exterior window systems. You’ll need to insert a crank into the eyelet, which should be able to raise or lower the shade, depending on where you rotate the crank. The manual crank system uses a worm gear to operate.

Use a soft clean piece of cloth to dust them, and that should be enough to remove any debris or dust. If you’ve got a vacuum cleaner, occasionally vacuum the shade if you want deeper cleaning.

6. Get Your Reflectors

There are so many hanging items you can find to help keep cardinals at bay. These hanging items can be bought from your local stores or found online.

Decals, reusable netting, stickers, scare-away tapes, among others, are just a few you can find online to help you stop cardinals from attacking your windows. You can hang these items from either the outside or inside your home.

7. It’s Time to Try a Feather Guard

If you want to stop cardinals from coming close to your house, find an object that acts as a warning to them. Fortunately, a feather guard window warning can both get their attention and serve as a warning, preventing them from attacking your windows.

The feather guard includes three deterrents that drive stubborn birds like cardinals away from their usual behaviors. It’s made of birds feathers and is strung approximately eight inches on fishing lines.

Cardinals hesitate to go to the windows when they see the feathers strung vertically.

Loose feathers signify that a predator is around, and this sends a clear message to the cardinals that they’re not welcome in the area. Since the feather guard warning includes loose feathers, it’s the perfect tool to stop birds, especially cardinals, from pecking your windows.

8. The Dotted Line Approach

Another thing you can use to keep off cardinals is a tape with white dots. All you have to do is stretch this specialized tape while pressing it down.

After that, pull off the tape, and you should be able to see tiny dots left on the window.

There are several such tapes, and you can even find some on Amazon. For example, the Glue Dots.

9. Take Advantage of Mosquito Screens

Many homeowners think that mosquito screens are just for driving away mosquitoes, but there’s more to these tools.

Mosquito screens can also aid in discouraging cardinals from attacking your windows. And the good news is that there are a variety of mosquito screens to choose from.

But before you purchase any mosquito screens, ensure that the one you’re buying is made of dark mesh for visibility to the birds.

You also have the freedom to customize the mesh to your needs. The secure screen is the most appropriate option if you’re thinking about customizing your mosquito screen.

Installing mosquito nets is straightforward, though it might take some time before you conclude the whole setup. To be precise, you could need up to thirty minutes to install them.

Please note that the screens also feature built-in brushes to help clean the screen after using them.

10. A Bird Net Would Do

Have you ever heard about bird netting? It’s one of the most popular bird control methods. Bird nets are used to restrict the entry of wild and stubborn birds from accessing specific areas, and in this case, cardinals from attacking your windows.

All you’ll have to do is cover the window (from the outside) with the net, approximately three inches from the glass, to create a barrier to the cardinals.

Wondering the best bird net size that would be appropriate? Usually, a small mesh of about five-eighth inches will be best. This size will not get the cardinals entangled but bounce them off and get them out unharmed.

Bird nets can be mounted on frames, especially storm window frames, to facilitate smooth installation and removal. Depending on what’s available to you, you can also secure these nets with staple guns, net clips, or even hooks.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide gave you insight into some of the best ways to stop cardinals from attacking your windows. Most of these methods have been tested and proven by most homeowners.

You only need to try one at a time to see what works best for you. Stick to it once you prove it’s the best solution for stopping cardinals away from your windows. If you’ve used any of the methods listed in this guide, please comment on how it went.

Frequently Asked Questions