Goldfinch Mystery (1 Viewer)

[todd]

Why does a male and female goldfinch keep pecking and bouncing off my window trying to get into my house? I put up a feeder with thistle seeds which the female uses, but they keep trying to get in the window. Should I install a birdhouse near the window, in a nearby tree, or not at all? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[shelley810]

The American Goldfinch doesn't use a box to nest in, for that matter they won't settle down to nest till pretty late in the season, I mean really late, like nearly or into August.
Is the reflection the culprit? Check to see if they have 'another' clear view of the feeder in your window. Could be just "the grass is always greener on the other side senerio!" In anycase you could put up a few mylar type hangers or stickers to break up the reflection. A screen should help, too. Wild Birds Unlimited would have some good options for you.
shelley

 

[helenol]

Could it be the bird thinks its reflection is another bird? Protecting its territory and stuff? That's usually the reason in most cases of birds having an unusual interest in windows.

Regards

 

[Katy Penland]

As Helen said, this is a territorial defense mechanism and you'll see a lot of this from all species during breeding season. As Shelley mentioned, helping to break up the reflectivity of the glass on the outside will help stop this behavior, like using decals (which you can razor-blade off later if you want), hanging netting, or even keeping the curtains closed can sometimes help.

This behavior won't go on forever, it just seems that way when you're on the inside of the glass listening to it.