Should I Keep My Bird Feeders After a Tragic Woodpecker Accident?

[physics girl phd]

This afternoon a red-bellied woodpecker that had visiting our suet feeder slammed into one of our windows at high speed and broke her neck. I ran to the window and only to see her take her last few breaths, and half-hearted flaps of wings and tail (she was on her back), then lay her head down, and close her eyes. Now I'm just not sure about my multiple bird feeders anymore.

She was just so beautiful and so much smaller than she looked when on our feeder (red-bellies are the largest of all three types we've been getting -- downy, hairy, and red-bellied). She may have been a juvenile, because her red wasn't very bright. I'm pretty crushed up inside (crying now).

I went outside and held her for a second in a gloved hand, then I quickly called the local nature center to see if they wanted it (since she was so freshly dead, looked to have no parasites, etc.), but they didn't. I looked up the avian professors in biology and the vet school, but nobody looked to have any interest in woodpeckers, and it was already nearing 5 pm. By the time I got back to her, the ants were starting to go to work on her anyways, so I moved her to an elevated spot of ivy behind our house for nature to take its course.

E (nearly 2) showed remarkable intuition, based on my actions and emotions of course. She hugged me and said "mommy woodpecker carry" and "woodpecker bye-bye" when I carried it away from our front porch and then returned inside to hug her. It's probably the first death she's really encountered (I don't think she's even noticed a dead bug). We were snacking at the table at the time of the impact, and I had to get her down and wash her hands before I could go outside (so she didn't SEE it die, but heard me getting upset when I jumped up to the window while she was still strapped in her chair).

...Much better intuition than my spouse, who doesn't even want to talk about it. Sometimes his post-traumatic stress syndrome is just too much for me. In processing it, I tried to tell him about her tongue: I'd never seen a woodpecker's tongue before, and it was a most amazing thing... but he didn't want to hear anything. I swear, if I didn't know he had post-traumatic stress issues, I'd swear he felt nothing. Which is why I have to vent about her here. Because i have to get it out.

I hate to take the feeders down; little E is learning all her birds, they are good "cat TV" for our indoor cats... but now the feeders seemed tainted. I know that perhaps a lot of the birds (and the squirrels) are healthier because I'm offering a variety of food but this seems even worse than the occasional squirrel being taken out by one of the two lurking neighborhood "white kitties." We also don't have another really good tree at which to hang them (both in terms of just physically hanging the feeders, and definitely in terms of visibility).

And this was a red-bellied! We hung the feeder to attract a red-bellied who'd been building a hole a tree across the street (and to keep the persistent downy that had been using the regular feeder).. and during the day we have a constant line-up of different woodpeckers waiting to get at the suet (there is definitely hierarchy, but the lowly downy ones will spar each other).

 

[Borek]

Sad. Last year (or was it already two years ago?) siskin got killed on my window. This year young sparrows hit the glass at least twice, but as far as I can tell neither died.

A friend of mine lives in a woods/fields and they had a constant problem with all kinds of birds trying to fly into their sitting room (huge glass doors/widows). They put a bird shaped stickers (bird shadows? not sure how these are properly called in English - something like they sell http://www.jodex.co.uk/product.php/301/window_birds_of_prey_silhouette_shadows_pack_of_3_decals_free_postage , but not birds of prey, just flying bird silhouettes) on the glass and from what I understand it helped.

 

[Evo]

That's so sad.

 

[Lacy33]

I'm sorry for your loss. I have ptsd and that said I think your DH emotions may turn around and he might become hyper emotional. It may swing both ways before he is recovered.

Was thinking that maybe this tiny little bird wanted to join hearts with you and the only way to do that was to enter the higher dimensions and into your heart. Now that you and this little tiny bird are together in spirit you will share a greater understanding of love with your DD and DH in ways you didn't think of before. Your little bird is not gone but closer than ever. Don't take down your feeder. :!)

 

[physics girl phd]

Just this morning there were three red-bellied woodpeckers in the yard -- one at the feeder, who flew to join one in a tree at the side of the yard, and then a third hopped over from the neighboring tree to join them.

Since I've only ever seen one at a time in the yard before, I guess this is their way, or nature's way, of saying it's going to be ok. I guess I'm off to look for bird "strike prevention" decals later today with E (taping homemade ones in the inside of the window won't be as effective because they are really thick double windows and they'll need to be on the outside).

 

[DaveC426913]

I guess I'm off to look for bird "strike prevention" decals later today with E (taping homemade ones in the inside of the window won't be as effective because they are really thick double windows and they'll need to be on the outside).

A few years ago I saw a young man on a TV show who was working on transparent decals that are treated with some type of paint. The decals are visible to birds but not to humans.

 

[turbo]

We have frequent bird-strikes on our windows, and occasional deaths. The most common trigger that I have seen is predation by the broad-winged hawks that nest on our property. We love to maintain seed-feeders to keep the song-birds happy, and the increased population density means that the areas around our feeders attract the attention of predators. There's no good way around that. Living out in the woods, we have to accept that we are going to be dealing with natural forces, including predator-prey relationships. I don't seem to have as many large fish in my pond as last year. The pond is very deep, so I don't think the great blue herons got them. It's more likely due to predation by minks.

These are not bad lessons for children to learn early, without the emotions that we adults can sometimes project.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I'm so sorry to hear this. If I had known you had a red-bellied woodpecker, I would have tried to mate her with my yellow-bellied sapsucker to see if we would get an orange-bellied leafbird.

 

[drizzle]

Sad :(

 

[physics girl phd]

A few years ago I saw a young man on a TV show who was working on transparent decals that are treated with some type of paint. The decals are visible to birds but not to humans.

The paint is reflective somewhere in the UV, which birds apparently can see. I think they have these available online through Amazon... and I can get them through PF's link to get PF 6%. I couldn't drop by the (outrageously expensive) Wild Birds Unlimited store in town today, because our handicapped van had an appt to get its ramp fixed, then we needed groceries (and then home to get our oldest off his school bus). :( I guess a few more days without them will probably be okay. This is the first and hopefully last fatal incident.

Still sad, but healing. Much better than not sleeping last night. I guess I need to remember one of our cats is getting old, someday I'd like to have a fish aquarium for the kids, etc.

 

[turbo]

I took Duke for a short walk down back to the pond and saw a common yellow-throat male patrolling the berry-bushes. So glad to see them back for another season. Phoebes are really good at picking off flying insects, but yellow-throats go the extra mile and pick their way through bushes and shrubs (including my tomato and pepper plants) eating bugs that would otherwise be eating my vegetables and plants. I'd love to have more of those little work-horses around!

 

[DaveC426913]

Living out in the woods, we have to accept that we are going to be dealing with natural forces, including predator-prey relationships. I don't seem to have as many large fish in my pond as last year. The pond is very deep, so I don't think the great blue herons got them. It's more likely due to predation by minks.

Never mind living outing the woods ... my friend owns a Koi pond right in MegaToronto and must keep both a heron-scarecrow nearby and an electrified cover over the pond because the minks have been sneaking in a stealing off with his giant Koi.

 

[Proton Soup]

Just this morning there were three red-bellied woodpeckers in the yard -- one at the feeder, who flew to join one in a tree at the side of the yard, and then a third hopped over from the neighboring tree to join them.

Since I've only ever seen one at a time in the yard before, I guess this is their way, or nature's way, of saying it's going to be ok. I guess I'm off to look for bird "strike prevention" decals later today with E (taping homemade ones in the inside of the window won't be as effective because they are really thick double windows and they'll need to be on the outside).

birds hit windows all the time, even when there are no feeders around.

 

[turbo]

Never mind living outing the woods ... my friend owns a Koi pond right in MegaToronto and must keep both a heron-scarecrow nearby and an electrified cover over the pond because the minks have been sneaking in a stealing off with his giant Koi.

Pretty nice! I don't mind feeding the minks with my bigger fish because they keep the rabbit, mouse, and vole populations down, too, and the minks don't seem to want to eat anything in my garden. I have fishers on the property, too, though they are more secretive and are not seen as often.

 

[OmCheeto]

birds hit windows all the time, even when there are no feeders around.

I don't have any feeders.

This was one that smacked into my front window one day:

I had a small lemon tree below the window, and somehow, it grabbed onto one of the branches on the way down. It was hanging upside-down with one foot, and wings outstretched when I arrived to investigate who was throwing things at my window.

I picked her up and massaged her little head. Then a couple of minutes later, she flew away.

Sorry about your woodpecker, Physics Girl.

 

[marcus]

... They put a bird shaped stickers (bird shadows? not sure how these are properly called in English - something like they sell http://www.jodex.co.uk/product.php/301/window_birds_of_prey_silhouette_shadows_pack_of_3_decals_free_postage , but not birds of prey, just flying bird silhouettes) on the glass and from what I understand it helped.

... I guess I'm off to look for bird "strike prevention" decals later today with E (taping homemade ones in the inside of the window won't be as effective because they are really thick double windows and they'll need to be on the outside).

A few years ago I saw a young man on a TV show who was working on transparent decals that are treated with some type of paint. The decals are visible to birds but not to humans.

I've seen what look like spread-wing hawk shadow paper cut-outs attached on the inside of several windows around here. One down the block from us, and one at the physics building on campus.

The one at the physics building could even be on thick or double-pane glass. Not sure. They have a third-story walkway between two buildings---a glass-enclosed bridge.

I have no info as to whether they work. I think it very likely that a large hawk silhouette with the wings spread is a hardwired "danger signal" to some birds.

I've only noticed them on fairly large windows, which have room for a goodsized silhouette, but just may not have noticed smaller ones.

Seems worth trying, even if you have smaller windows and they are double pane. Why not just cut one out yourself and put it up provisionally, until you find something better.

 

[edward]

Sorry to hear about your loss physics girl phd

Last winter I used blue masking tape on my front window for several months with plans to get something more suitable. The masking tape definitely worked, but my wife constantly complained.

I finally got motivated when my neighbor asked me if there was a hurricane warning

 

[Astronuc]

Please accept my condolences, pgphd.

We have several bird feeders with two fairly close to the house. The hairy and downy woodpeckers prefer the suet and once sated, they take off pretty quickly to the trees in our backyard. The redbellies prefer the one we have in the tree which is about 15 ft from the corner of the house.

We get some birds hitting windows, but not often. I once rescued a chickadee who hit the back door and was only stunned.


One could perhaps put a hanging basket outside the window. One of the feeders is surrounded by bushes, and the birds seem to like that one.

We also have venetian blinds in the windows, so perhaps that helps.

 

[Danger]

Windows are tough. Astro's use of blinds is good, but I'm not sure how well it addresses the initial problem. Birds see via a far larger section of the EM spectrum than humans do. They do not, however, have the mental processing ability to cope with something that isn't covered in their genetic owner's manual. If they recognize the presence of glass at all, they probably interpret it as water. I don't know for sure what their observations of polarized light are, but they can differentiate between various orientations thereof. That might make a difference as to what particular glass frames show up to them, and which don't.
Anyhow, it occurs to me that we could prevent a vast number of woodpecker head injuries if we were to put up signs warning them when they are about to enter a petrified forest.

 

[Evo]

I have birds crashing into my bedroom windows all of the time, most of the time they are trying to get away from hawks, so they are flying recklessly.

 

[turbo]

Anyhow, it occurs to me that we could prevent a vast number of woodpecker head injuries if we were to put up signs warning them when they are about to entire a petrified forest.

 

[Danger]

Thanks for quoting that, pal. It gave me notice that I had a gruesome typo there, which has now been corrected. (Nothing pisses me off more than finding a typo after it's too late to edit.)

I have birds crashing into my bedroom windows all of the time,

You remember my doggie costume, right? (Cold nose and all...) Did you never realize that I also have avian counterparts to it?
I am nothing if not thorough...

edit: And don't get too comfortable with your bug spray...

 

[lisab]

I have birds crashing into my bedroom windows all of the time, most of the time they are trying to get away from hawks, so they are flying recklessly.

They'd be better off if they flew wrecklessly.

 

[turbo]

They'd be better off if they flew wrecklessly.

George and Ruth went for a ride. The top was down, you see. They hit a bump and Ruth flew out. George drove off, ruthlessly.

 

[Loren Booda]

Back in the 1980s, while driving to my job at the Nature Center, I hit a pileated woodpecker. I had broken its wing, but took it to the Center, where we determined nothing could be done for it, even by the wildlife rehabilitators.

Did you know that the pileated woodpecker's tongue wraps over its skull -- talk about evolution!

When they feed their brood grubs -- talk about sword swallowing!

pgphd, your daughter is wise beyond her years, even more than the magical age she inhabits. Now the park manager and his wife have dear two-year-old twins (soon to be three). She told me of the time she walked them (age one) in a stroller, when she was bitten by a copperhead on her toe! Thank God they weren't bitten! The hospital treated her.

Her husband and I have worked together in the park on and off for 26 years, and he has seen just about everything natural.

 

[Danger]

he has seen just about everything natural.

Peculiar...
People who have worked with me have seen just about everything unnatural.

 

[lisab]

So sad ! I've heard stringing ribbons in front of large windows is effective in keeping birds away.

 

[Danger]

Intriguing concept, Lisa. It might be effective if new birds are involved on a regular basis. The damned things are very good at memorizing patterns, though, so long-timers will learn to recognize that the ribbons are fixed in their area of activity. They will then figure out how to evade them. If they truly don't see the glass, that evasion of the ribbons will still result in injury. In a creepy way, that's a good thing; should such injury occur in the wild, the bird would certainly die. In a human-occupied area, medical attention is likely. (Except at my place, of course—that would just result in a rapid introduction to my BBQ.)

 

[DaveC426913]

... long-timers will learn to recognize that the ribbons are fixed in their area of activity. They will then figure out how to evade them. If they truly don't see the glass, that evasion of the ribbons will still result in injury...

I think you're making assumptions about bird behaviour. It may be plausible, but I'm not entirely convinced that the only effect of the ribbon is to act like as a barrier to flight even a symbolic one.

An alternate hypothesis: when one (human and bird alike) looks at anything, one sees objects and automatically brings them into focus. If those objects are two dozen yards away, that's where one focuses, which will have a tendency to blind one to something one dozen yards away if it's virtually invisible.

Possibly the purpose of the ribbon is to draw one's attention to the plane of the window instead of focusing on whatever is a dozen yards behind the window.


They do put big X's on glass doors in buildings for people. They're not to make you walk around them, they're to draw your attention to the fact that there's a plate of glass there.

 

[Loren Booda]

Some folks adhere silhouettes of raptors on their windows to scare other birds away.