Why Do Birds Attack Windows?

In this issue: Who's That Bird, Cowbird Science, and Birds on the Move

Trouble viewing this e-mail? Try our web version. |  Joy of Birds  March 2026 Birds Battling Windows—Why? As spring arrives, you may notice more birds singing, courting—and attacking your home or car?! It turns out, birds battling windows and mirrors is a fairly common behavior during breeding season. Here's why birds fight windows, and how you can stop it. Northern Cardinal. Photo: Cwhiteway/Shutterstock Who's This Iconic Bird? Get ready for the birds of spring with this ID challenge! Can you name this mystery bird using the silhouetted image above and the three hints below? Clue #1: Just like their corvid cousins, this bird remembers faces and can even use tools. Clue #2: These territorial birds are known to scare off smaller feeder favorites to claim the bounty for themselves. Clue #3: These birds are skilled mimics known for their uncanny Red-tailed Hawk impressions. Here's a bonus hint: This bird's four-letter banding code, which researchers often use as shorthand for species names, is BLJA. Click here to learn more about this bird and reveal the answer. Photo: Lia Bocchiaro/Audubon Are You My Mom? How Cowbirds Know Their Own Brood parasites, like Brown-Headed Cowbirds, have an unusual method of raising their young. They lay their eggs in other species' nests, gambling that the host parents will raise the cowbird chicks as if they were their own. Mark Hauber, a renowned expert on Brown-headed Cowbirds, is obsessed with a seemingly simple question: "How do you know what species you are?" Get a new appreciation for the diversity of all birdlife by learning more about cowbirds. Wood Thrush with a Brown-headed Cowbird nestling (left) among her own chicks. Photo: Kelly Colgan Azar/Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0 Birds on the Move: The Boreal Forest Migration is more than the journey, it's about every place birds need along the way. That's why our Birds on the Move documentary series shines a spotlight on birds' extraordinary treks and the people working across the Americas to protect them on each step of their journeys. The series starts where so much bird life begins, the Boreal Forest––the heart of North America's bird nursery. Watch our first episode to learn more about the conservation work to protect these lands and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the next stop. Bring Joy to Common Loons Common Loons' rich yodeling and moaning calls are characteristic sounds of early summer in the north woods. Now, you can bring this iconic call home when you give a gift. Donate today to get a Common Loon plush as thanks. Common Loons. Photo: Shirley Donald/Audubon Photography Awards Did you receive this message from a friend? Get regular email updates from us by clicking here. → CONNECT WITH US National Audubon Society 225 Varick Street New York, NY 10014 USA (844) 428-3826 | www.audubon.org © 2026 National Audubon Society Update your email preferences or unsubscribe