Off topic: Red Bellies!!!!!

[kratz71]

We have a pair of Red bellied woodpeckers that are driving us nuts. It was cool for about a week to watch them grab onto our aluminum framed windows and tap at their reflections. After a month and no end in sight these birds just will not stop. I'm talking sun up to sun down. I know its a territorial thing but there has to be something that will deter these woodpeckers. We have tryed with no success, fake owls, snakes, mirrors, bird netting and they find a way to get past the deterrents. Has anyone tryed the electronic bird repellents? We would never harm them or trap them but with a 17 month old and a new baby on the way we are going to have to get sleep whenever we can. Any help would be great. Thanks!

Mike

[Guest]

Mike,

Have you tried opening all of the windows? Sorry.... couldn't resist!

Actually, that's a really tough one. Wood peckers can be really persistent. Do they focus on just a couple of windows or any and all of them? Since they are 'attacking' their reflection, I wonder if you install some type of semi-transparent film on the outside of the glass (permanently or temporarily until they move on), if that would eliminate the reflection and your problem? I know that there are plastic films designed to provide a frosted appearance or some other translucent effect. I think I have seen this type of thing at some home improvement stores. Automotive stores carry window film but it is so reflective that I don't think it will provide the effect you are looking for.

I hope this might help you. Good luck!

Jeff Nelson

[geneinmurphy]

Try putting a hawk silouette (spelling?) on your window......surely they won't attack a hawk!

[Guss P O'Brien]

Maybe you could put a real mirror out away from your house to attract them away from your house? Attach the mirror to a tree or pole. Maybe a red bellied window pecker decoy would attract them away.

[kratz71]

Thanks for all of the ideas. I did try putting mirrors near the house and they peck on those too!! They seem to be attaking just our master bedroom windows, all 5 of them. You should see these things shimmy up behind the birdnetting just to get their rival red belly. I will look into the window film and see if that might do the trick. We've even thought of taking the solar film off of the windows since it is so reflective. I broke down and called a wildlife relocator to see if they had any ideas. He said he could get rid of the woodpeckers legally but it would cost me $400! He wouldn't even tell me how he would do it because he said I would just do it and not pay him to do it. Anyway, thanks for the response.

Mike

[Sigundo]

Hmm.. I wonder if a mild electrical charge would do it? Something like electric cattle fence, but I'm no electrician, so don't know if the birds would be grounded or not while touching the window frame and you definately dont want the current inside your windows. Course I'd even go so far as painting them, if I had to choose between sleep and having nice looking window frames. But thats just me...

Other than that, I'd have to agree with getting rid of the reflection with some stick on stuff.. unless you could put shutters up or something, but seems like a lot of work doing that and you might not even want shutters.

[Guest]

We had a male bluebird that was doing the same thing.

When we closed the drapes, he stopped because he could no longer see his reflection. You don't want to put up mirrors, imo, because seeing his reflection is what's causing the problem.

Good luck and congrats on the baby!