You’ve probably heard stories of bluebirds insistently tapping on windows. Some people attach spiritual meaning to these occurrences, and other folks believe that bluebirds are trying to communicate something to the humans who are watching over them. I’ve witnessed bluebirds tapping on my own windows a few times, so I wanted to find out the real reason why they do this. So, why do bluebirds tap on windows?
Photo above by zenjazzygeek is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Reason Bluebirds Tap on Windows
As a general rule, bluebirds tap on windows because (1) they mistake the window’s reflection for the world around them and they tap or fly into the window out of curiosity, or (2) they interpret the window’s reflection to be another bluebird and they start tapping or striking the window to defend their territory. Rarely do bluebirds tap on windows to communicate something to humans.
In this article, I’m going to cover the two most basic reasons that bluebirds tap on windows. I’ll also give you three ways you can try top stop this window tapping if it becomes a problem at your house.
First, let me explain why I believe bluebirds are probably not trying to communicate with humans through window tapping.
Why Window Tapping Is Probably NOT an Alert
If you are an avid bluebird watcher yourself, you’ve probably heard other people talking about bluebirds tapping on their windows as a communication method. Many people interpret this type of “tapping” as an alert. Maybe my bluebirds are in danger and they’re trying to let me know?
It’s true that bluebirds that use alerts to signal their own species of an intruder or a predator. Usual Eastern Bluebird warnings techniques include loud chatters or dive-bombing if something approaches their nest box. To see this yourself, go close to a an active bluebird nest box after the chicks have hatched and you’re likely to hear warning chatters from the male or female – and you might even get dive-bombed! These are normal ways that bluebirds signal “danger” to their own species or to those they perceive as predators.
Bluebird watchers may want to interpret bluebirds tapping on windows as an alert, but this is likely not the case. Pets communicate with their owners when they are hungry or in pain. However, since bluebirds are migratory birds and not pets, they don’t tend to communicate with humans purposefully. So, you shouldn’t interpret bluebirds tapping on windows as an alert, but rather as a natural reaction to what they are seeing reflected in the window.
Here are the two most common reasons that bluebirds tap on windows.
Common Reasons Bluebirds Tap on Windows
1. They are seeing nature reflected in the window
If a bluebird keeps tapping on your window, you should step outside and try to view the window to understand what the bird might be seeing. Perhaps they are specifically tapping at certain times during the day when the sunlight hits the window and reflects nature more clearly. If a bluebird mistakes a window’s reflection for nature, he might tap on the window out of interest, or fly into the window by mistake.
This is just one possibility. However, if you are having bluebirds consistently and aggressively tapping on your house or car window, it may be a territory issue. They might assume that their reflection is another bird.
2. They are seeing themselves reflected in the window
Bluebirds are naturally territorial when it comes to their own species. Eastern Bluebirds, in particular, don’t like to nest within 100 yards of another Eastern Bluebird pair. Western and Mountain Bluebirds tend to prefer even more space! So, when bluebirds persistently tap or strike your windows, particularly in an aggressive manner, they may be interpreting their own reflection as another bluebird.
If they see themselves in a window (or mirror), bluebirds may attempt to tap at the window, scratch the window with their feet, or even dive-bomb the window to get rid of the “rival bluebird.”
While window tapping might seem harmless for bluebirds, it could lead to exhaustion for the birds, and it means they are spending valuable time pecking at a window when they could be finding food for themselves or their young. Plus, the tapping can become quite annoying for you as the homeowner.
Furthermore, if bluebirds are aggressively flying into the window (known as “striking”) they could potentially injure themselves or even die.
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Here are a few proven ways that you can stop bluebirds from tapping on your windows.
How to Stop Bluebirds from Tapping on Your Windows (3 Methods)
With a few simple alterations to your windows, you can reduce the likelihood of bluebird taps and strikes. The idea of each of these methods is to break up the reflectiveness of the window, so that the bluebirds don’t see themselves or anything else in the window as interesting or threatening.
1. Close your blinds or shades to reduce reflection on the window
Sometimes, closing your windows’ blinds is all it takes to reduce the reflection of the window and stop bluebirds from tapping. The first time bluebirds start tapping on your windows, close the blinds or shades to see if that’s enough to stop them. If the behavior continues, move on to one of the following methods.
2. Reposition flower pots and plants outside to block bluebirds’ access to the window
Placing flower pots and plants strategically on your outdoor window sill can block bluebirds from seeing their full reflection in the window. Potted plants can also stop bluebirds from finding a comfortable place to sit next to the window. This alone can be enough to make bluebirds lose interest in the window and cease the tapping.
3. Try the “Yellow Highlighter Trick”
If bluebirds are persistent in flying into your house’s windows and nothing you do seems to stop them, you need to try the yellow highlighter trick. This method was invented by American Ornithologist David Sibley, and provides a simple, cheap solution for stopping the majority of birds from flying into windows (source).
The yellow highlighter trick involves drawing a fluorescent grid on the inside of your window with a standard yellow highlighter. The grid is barely visible to the human eye, but it’s visible enough to birds to break up the window’s reflection and keep them from hitting the window.
Watch the video below to see how to make the yellow highlighter work for you.
While no method is foolproof, these methods can go a long way to stop bluebirds from tapping on your windows. For best results, you can combine multiple methods together to reduce window reflection and access to your windows for bluebirds.
Additional Tips for Stopping Bluebirds from Tapping on Windows
How to stop bluebirds from tapping on your vehicle’s rear-view mirrors
As a general rule, bluebirds tap on vehicle mirrors when they see their own reflection and view it as threat. You can stop bluebirds from tapping on your vehicle’s rear-view mirrors by parking your vehicle inside a garage, flipping the mirrors inward while parked, or moving the vehicle to a different parking spot further away from the bluebird nesting site.
Photo by Roger Smith is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Conclusion
While it doesn’t happen often, when bluebirds tap on windows, it can be annoying for homeowners and potentially dangerous to bluebirds. Hopefully this article helps you understand why bluebirds tap on windows in the first place and gives you some options for how to stop them.
If you are interested in attracting bluebirds to your own backyard, click here to read my article called How to Attract Bluebirds.