A reader wrote in today:
“HELP PLEASE I have this yellow finch throwing himself at my window trying to gain access I think. This has been happening for two days, he regains strength overnite and is back this morning. What can I do to stop him. I do not want him to get hurt. Thanks Tina”
After a few emails back and forth with Tina, and a photo she sent me, the bumping bird is definately a male yellow finch.
“Tina:
Put up a curtain. What a nutty bird! Depending on your location it may be mating season. He sees his reflection and he’s likely trying to start a fight to fend off ‘that other yellow finch’ he sees in the reflection of your glass.
Unless you’ve got pet finches inside…and he’s trying to get at them?
If you still can’t shake him off and help him to move on, you might want to call the local animal control unit (usually run by a municipality). They’ll come and relocate him.”
As it turns out Tina has no birds in the house, and has tried drawing the curtain but the yellow finch (an American Goldfinch) keeps flinging himself at the window. It’s a large picture window with a big pine tree butting right up to it.
————
Yes, you’ve got an American Goldfinch there. He’s performing a territorial defense on your window. He thinks your window is another male, and your house has been marked as his territory (in his mind at least) so he’s fighting off the other bird. He won’t stop until early Fall or until he kills himself by bumping into your window.
That is quite a large window (otherwise I’d suggest covering it from the outside until he gets a grip on himself). At some point your window is highly reflective – almost mirror like on his side – likely at a certain point in the day with the sun’s reflections. Have you noticed him doing this at any particular time? Say, for instance that he does this from 3-5 pm you could hang a sheet on the outside of the window for just those few hours every day. As the sun changes position due to the season, this time may change and/or diminish altogether.
I wish I had a quick fix suggestion for you. Some people put stickers on their windows, attach those ugly plastic owls to their windowsills to scare off the wild birds, etc. but these don’t always work. The mirror like reflection and the need to fend for their territory is too great.
Animal control may still come and try to catch him (or give you tips on how to catch him if he knocks himself out – be very careful here) so he can be relocated by the experts. However, chances are pretty good he’ll find his way back, or another will come and do the same thing.
If your property is large, you could maybe distract him and his mate if he has one (they’re monogamous and in the breeding season now), by putting out a wild bird feeder with black sunflower seeds or thistle, far away from the window. I’m thinking that if he has a mate she’s probably nested in that tree right by the window. The eggs incubate for about 10 days, the young in the nest for another 10-17 days, and they may have 2 broods a season.
Hoping some of this information assists you with a solution!
Veronica
——————————
At a later note I received many more emails of this sort. One kind reader told me he picked up a $4 feeder and placed it on the other side of his yard. “This seems to have done the trick,” he said, “the birds are just as pretty to watch over there – without all the tap-tapping at my window!”
If you stop into the discount bird supply store now, you’ll find pretty Finch feeders selling as low as $3.99, with a wide variety to choose from.
Finch Feeders
Finch Magnet Feeders
Thistle Feeders
Hoping this solves your problem too!
Search by: American Goldfinch, wild birds, wild bird feeder
49 Comments Posted
Tina
June 1st, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Unbeleivable thanks for all that info.
Yesterday as a matter of fact my husband came over to me and told me “my friend” brought another friend with him. So hence the mate you are referring to. I can honestly say two days ago he started this at the kitchen window. I yelled out the window and he left and obvioulsy made his way to the other side of the house, and he has been here ever since.
There is no time of the day yesterday that he did this , all day, he was here. I could hardly wait for nightfall.
I think we shall try covering the window and see if that helps, maybe deflect the reflection he is seeing.
Thanks again, I appreciate all your time and trouble.
Tina
Vanessa
July 7th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Hi. I just came across this site because we have a yellow finch that has been banging against our window for three days now. I am going to try to do something about the reflecton to stop it HOWEVER, this finch is definitely a female as inbetween banging up against the window it was seen under a male. Then right back to the window banging so I guess that females also defend their territory in this way.
Veronica
July 7th, 2006 at 5:12 pm
Vanessa, thanks so much for leaving your note. It’s so very important and valuable for us to share our experiences and learn from each other.
Precisely why I set this part of the website up. I used to have a forum here but received no traffic. This new format, as a wordpress blog, really brings people in.
Which we all need, so we can all share.
Again, much appreciated,
Veronica
Erika
July 20th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
Oh my goodness, that is so good to know, I just got on the internet because some silly bird has been doing that to all the windows in my upstairs for weeks now!!!! He hasnt been over in a few days, and today is the first time Ive seen him in the afternoon, usually he wakes me up, but hes here right now so I decided to get on and look up who he is and why hes throwing himself at my window!!!! What a silly bird!
jane
August 9th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
can you help me? I am new at the wild bird thing. We have had hummingbirds for years and this year we decided to put up finch feeders. No one comes to eat. Does the feeder need to be in a certain place? We live in North Carolina and have seen finches in the yard. Any suggestions? Thanks Jane
The Bird Girl
August 10th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Hi Jane:
They aren’t in your state at this time of year. They’re north breeding and hatching. They should, however, be back soon!
Keep the feeders out and keep watching!
christine tadeo
April 29th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Hello,
We just purchased a feeder for yellow finches. We have it hanging on a shepard’s hook near a window. Two questions…the feeder is about four feet from the ground. Should it be higher? Also, is it OK to leave near a window…will the birds still feed?
Thanks!
barb
May 31st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I put up a fiinch feeder about a month ago and no birds. Our ex-neighbor had tons of them last summer. When he moved, he gave us all of his thistle seed. Is the problem that the seed is too old? It was kept very dry. Also, I’ve got the feeder hanging about 10 ft. above the ground. Is this too low? Any advice on where to hang would be appreciated. I’m based on Vancouver Island, B.C.
Merl Elton
June 10th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Dear Barb
Regarding Gold Finches
Finches like fresh thistle. If the thistle is more becomes even slightly stale, wet, moldy, or dry; the finches will not eat it.
We replace our thistle about once a week. We store the remainder indoors in a birdseed can located in a cool dry area of our basment; it lasts for a few months stored this way.
We move the feeder aroud until we find a place the finches prefer. Ten feet above the ground is not too low since it should be high enough to escape the jump of cats and squirrels; and ideally should let the finches see arriving winged predators.
However, one of our feeders is just 3 feet off the ground and the finches still use it. In time the finches will arrive; it took us about a year for our yellow finches to arrive at our feeder.
Bright yellow-colored finch feeders seem to attract finches faster. And, did you know that only male finches are yellow and that they turn brown in winter?
Jerry Peterson
June 18th, 2007 at 11:37 am
At present, we have only one finch feeder hanging about 7 feet from the ground on a long cord. Lots of gold finch every summer and the squirrels can’t get at it. Also have a regular box type feeder hanging from the eave by a picture window where just this summer, the goldfinches also feed. The doves clean up underneath, but mess up the mulch. I’ve been waiting for the chickadees to make an appearance, but so far no show. Sparrows won’t stay away and there are some house finches which is fine. Never had a problem with squirrels at this feeder until this year when one got on the screen, but was shooed before he tried to jump. He came back only once more so far. We’re in Michigan just northeast of Detroit about 25 miles.
Betsy
June 21st, 2007 at 2:49 pm
We’ve always had a large number of gold finches, even during harsh northern Indiana winters. I am careful to keep their several feeders clean, provided a heated water dish in winter, and some shelter from thunderstorms. About 3 weeks ago, I realized they hadn’t been feeding and have watched for them to return to no avail. Is there a disease going through the population? The outside “mama kitty” has been here since January, so I don’t think that’s a factor. Any suggestions? Thanks for any help.
Rita
July 1st, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I have a yellow male (?) finch who’s been banging on my kitchen window for a week now and at night pecks on my upstairs bedroom window and wakes me up. Sometimes he follows me from room to room and pecks at these windows also! What can I do – I don’t want to cover all my windows. I live on an acreage with lots of birds and have never encountered this before. My best friend told me it was a messenger of some kind and that I would be hearing bad news???
Jo
July 11th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
We recently put up a finch feeder with nyjer thistle in the backyard next to a young pin oak. It’s about 7 feet off the ground….but no finches. Is there an ideal placement spot?
Summer Nestlings
July 12th, 2007 at 11:06 am
There’s an ideal time – for your area.
Yellow finches are migratory. They may not even be in your area right now.
Where do you live?
Jo
July 16th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Well…sorry for the non response! I’m in Eastern Iowa.
I moved the feeder about 5 feet into the middle of the yard, away from the tree and raised it a foot so it is about 11 feet in the air and bam…gold finches male and female. Hardly in abundance (the most I’ve seen are two at a time), but they’re unmistakable of course.
Who knew a plastic box, a pole and a handful of thistle seed could be so much fun!
I want to try to attract some other Iowa birds with fruit. Any ideas on this?
Jo
July 16th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Also, this site is wonderful! You do a terrific job.
Gina
August 12th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Hello,
I have found a baby yellow finch lying in the grass all alone and too small to fly. I kept an eye out on it all day and no adults came near it. Feeling sorry for the young thing and fearing the worst with night fall, I fed it some mashed up worms through a straw and moved it out from direct sunlight. Overnight it has perked up and I have continued feeding it worms and oranges from a straw. What should I do for this little cutie? I don’t want to endanger it, if I havn’t already. I know this is a wild bird and that’s where it belongs but I can’t bear to see it starve or worse. Any insight on what I should/shouldn’t be doing?
Thanks!
Debbie D
August 17th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I live in Western North Carolina and my Gold Finches are no longer coming to my feeders. I have had very many this Summer and they stopped coming to the feeders the second week of August. Is this normal?
Patty
March 23rd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I recently purched a finch feeder and would like to attract finches. What is the best time to put a finch feeder out? I live in West Virginia and its March 23, 2008.
tracy
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:39 am
Soap is the answer! Take any bar of soap and draw yourself a lovely flower or butterfly on the outside of your window over the spot the bird is attacking. This will break up the image and stop the attacks. It also works well for preventing collisions of the accidental kind.
Samantha
May 17th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Good Morning, I just woke up and found two yellow fiches laying in my garden. One was on his back and the other on his side. They are breathing but not moving. What can i do to help them? I have a small fence around my garden but lots of animals out there. We live in Ohio. Please Help!
Betty
May 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
My husband recently put up two Finch Feeders and we were having 5 or 6 feeding on each of them. Also, he spilled some seed on the grass under the feeder and, we watched 15 to 20 Yellow Finces gathered. We left Poplar Bluff, MO May 9th, coming back on May 17th (Vacation) and noticed that we no longer have finches coming to eat. Do they move on at certain times of the year? The Feeders were up high, on the edge of our extra garage away from any animals, etc.. We also would see them several at a time sitting on the roof edge – like they were giving others time to eat from the Feeders. I hope they will be back soon, we loved watching them.
Betty
Jannie
May 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I have been feeding the Golden Finches in my backyard for months and have been attracting about 30 to my 3 feeders now all of a sudden they all went away. And I haven’t seen any for a week now I have been feeding them Nyger seed. My feeder has never ran out of food. I live in nebraska is this the time of year they migrate to other areas or is it they are hatching young ones right now. Anyone know a reason for this?
Mary Linda Davis
September 8th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Thistle seed has doubled in price since last week. We love our birds and want to continue to feed them (we use the sacks), but wonder is there anything else they will eat.
We live in Virginia and wonder when the finches will leave our area and when they will hopefully return. They sure give us a lot of pleasure. Thanks a lot !!!
Cat
April 12th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I came to this sight looking for the history and the name of the solid, yellow migrating birds, but I also had trouble for several weeks with a robin flying into my picture window. She stood all day long on my spiral step handrail and really left a mess daily, not to mention the annoying pecking at the glass. I tried crisco and tabasco sauce and just had a bigger mess to cleanup! My mother-in-law gave me a flat cardboard owl to hang by the window and it worked. It’s about 12″ high and 6-7″ wide. I took it down that winter and didn’t need it last summer, but I noticed a robin looking it over and Mr. Owl will be waiting.
Hildegard Valenti
May 17th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
We have yellow finches all winter and they disappear in May and come back in the fall. Where do they go? I keep the feeder full on year round. We live in Northern California about 65 miles east of San Francisco where it gets real hot in the summer. Thanks! Hildegard
jeff
May 19th, 2009 at 10:42 am
tina lol samething at my house almost non stop as we speak glad atleat i have the answer why he is doing this drives me crazy seems to be my wake up call every morning guess no difference then us as males we walk into glass sliding doors when we see a pretty girl lol
Peggy
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I bought a thistle feeder for finches at the beginning of this summer and low and behold, we have finches. There’s only 4 of them at the moment, but I love to watch them.
My question: I put fresh water out for them everyday and they come and drink all the time, but we’re going on vacation & I’m worried that they’ll go away when they don’t have that fresh water every day. What can I do?
Nicole
July 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Thank you so much for putting up this article! My family has been watching this one goldfinch throw himself at the window for a week or two and could not figure out why! We actually have very large windows (it actually takes up an entire wall!). Is there anything we could do with such a large window to distract him? We think he nests in the woods opposite of the house, but the yard is pretty barren and the squirrels are crazy so bird feeders are a no-go.
winnie
August 9th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
could you help i have a lot of yellow finches that feed off of two feeders, today one of the yellow finches was on the ground and could not fly, it moves and tries to fly but just can’t get up in the air, what should or can i do, please let me know soon, i hate seeing it outside on the ground afraid something will get it.
thanks,
winnie
bill lindoerfer
August 31st, 2009 at 7:39 pm
My wife and I have just gotten started feeding yellow finches, man-o-man do they eat a ton of food. Are finches concidered song birds, or do just chirp? They also seem to come out of the woodwork, but we are enjoying them. Do they stay all winter? We live in North Illinois. This next spring we also want to get into humming birds also, do they coexist.
Thanks,
Bill
Eileen Walker
September 19th, 2009 at 9:54 am
I bought a finch sock feeder at Target at the beginning of the spring and after a couple of weeks a few finches came. I added a second sock feeder a few weeks later and more came. Recently I added two more sock feeders and now have about twenty finches at a time feeding at the four feeders. They are all hanging on a dogwood tree over our sandbox, about six feet off the ground and are close together, less than a foot apart, and provide much entertainment for us and our grandchildren. I have to keep a supply of Nyjer seeds on hand to keep them filled. The finches are beautiful to watch.
Larry Guy
February 16th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Live in Iowa and have noticed that finches have gone for the winter some time ago. Wondering when they will return to Iowa. Finally got them to come to our feeders and love watching them feed in the summer. Just wondering when they will return. Thanks!
nh_photogirl
June 11th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I guess I was pretty lucky. I walk the neighbourhood and was mystified by these darling little finches in someone’s yard. One day, I saw the man out there and asked him what seed he was using. He said to get Thistle seed, because they can’t resist.
Well, I went out the very next day and bought three different feeders. Literally within an HOUR there they were! Eating away on the finch sock. I’ve got 5 or 6 mated pair coming daily. But Man oh MAN do they EAT! The other day the whole feeder was emptied of black oil sunflower seeds. I’m going to have to start buying in bulk!! The other day I also had a grosbeak come to the feeder that was a delightful surprise too!
Donna
July 9th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
I am so glad I found this web site. I have the same situation with a little yellow finch. It sits on the ledge of a large window in the front of our house and bangs into it all day. He wakes us up early every morning with the banging. It is hard to get to the window to hang somethng because it is above the door on a two story foyer. I am very interested in the picture idea though. We had a bird a few months ago fly right into the window and died. I want to prevent that from happening again as well as stopping our little friend now before he hurts himself. Has anyone tried the picture idea on the window? Would a sticker work? Do you know how big it has to be to distract the bird or interfer with the reflection?
cheryl
August 24th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
The finches love my coneflowers.
stacey
September 19th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I live in Eastern central West virginia, I have enjoyed the finches all summer long do they migrate from this area in the winter?
Isabel Winkler
October 12th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Hi there,
I am writing from Springs in South Africa. I am desperate .Please would you help me. My garden is to be on show very soon and as well as lots of other birds I have a yellow finch stripping off all leaves of a tree plus various other plants. The tree is right near to my pool and at a focal point. Underneath the tree I have panted various species of ferns that desperately need shade. He builds a nest and then strips off all of the leaves on that branch ( I believe to ensure that no snakes can approach ? ) There are no snakes in my area.
He then shows this nest to his mate who declines and he then starts to build another nest and strip bare some more branches. I am desperate to scare him off away from the water and possibly to a further away point of the garden (if there is any garden left) You cannot believe that such a tiny little thing can cause such destruction.
Please would you help .
Isabel
Emerald Guesthouse Springs
South Africa.
PS As well as publishing on the site for other viewers, could I ask you to reply directly to my email xx
Sisao Tresed
May 11th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
I’m in San Diego. A yellow male finch has be attacking a small upper window for the last two weeks (today is 5/11/2011). I tried putting a big bird statue inside the window but he is relentless. I guess I’m gonna have to cut out a piece of paneling and put it up in front of the window before he kills himself. I’m glad I’m not the only one. I don’t remember ever having this problem before.
Sue Albrecht
May 18th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Will the yellow finches run off the hummingbirds
Kathy
May 24th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
We also have a finch pecking and flying at the windows and not at all afraid of us. This has been happening non-stop since yesterday. It is not just one window, either–it probably involves 8 or more windows in the sun room as well as the dining room. He seems to target whichever room I happen to be in.
We have been in this house for 11 years and have never had this before with a finch–only with a robin last year.
While the finches are beautiful, this is really getting annoying. I’m thinking of trying a feeder away from the house. We currently do not feed the birds, but they have plenty of berry bushes, etc. in the conservancy that we back up to.
Lee
June 2nd, 2011 at 10:51 am
We were thinking the little yellow finch(s) were friends from Aruba coming to visit us in Illinois ! In Aruba we call them “sugar thieves,” albeit, I now know that the birds down there are a different species (of Tanager.) We have had days of pounding on our windows in Illinois and the poor little things seem to be in a hurry to get into our house! Happy to have found that this is not a scary movie! Thank you, Lee
Carol
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 am
I too have a a yellow male finch tapping at all my living room windows.My cats are going crazy ,running from window to window. I live in central Massachusetts. I never seen a bird like this over here. I wonder if the tornadoes over here blew him away from his family.
Denise
June 7th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
I have a little yellow finch that is fighting his reflection in my big glass window. I have searched the web and found many suggestions,the one that is working so far for me is I taped one end of colored streamers to the top of my window. Now when the wind blows they flutter and scare the finch away. My windows look festive like I am having a party, but also seem to be detering the little guy from banging all day long into the window.
Mary
June 24th, 2011 at 11:25 am
I have a male Goldfinch throwing himself at my living room window. This started after the female Goldfinch landed on the ledge of the window and tapped it with her beak. This is the 3rd day of them, both of them, attacking the window. I have tried everything to make them stop, nothing discourages them for very long. It’s really very annoying, not to mention they are wasting mating season in this way. I’ll try a feeder and see if that will help.
Teresa
June 29th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Crazy and irritating little yellow finch! Tried the big plastic owl with no luck will now try putting paper up on the outside of the window. Has anybody had luck with getting the tapping and window flinging actually stopping with a this or another method?
bird lover
July 5th, 2011 at 2:37 am
I have a lot of lilies close to my house and they have never tried coming close to the window. I also have a thin dark blue curtain over the window that is closed most of the time too. Maybe having flowers for them will keep them busy and away from the imaginary “birdie in the window”. Whatever the solution may be, the curtain or the lilies I dont know, but he never bangs into my windows. I love watching them.
kurstin
July 6th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
We have a yellow finch at our window and like she said he goes away at night and comes back in the day. The thing is he goes at it all day not certain time periods. And we have a big window in the livingroom then a door with a window in it,the whole middle is the window, for a back door. So if our front window is closed he will come to the back, if that is closed he will come to the bedroom windows!my mom says that by the end of the summer he will have a crooked beak! And we have also lived in the house for sixteen years,my parents, and they nor I have ever seen this.11 days straight!
Laury
July 17th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
We have a female goldfinch that has been frequenting all the windows of our house here in central Indiana, landing on a little ledge and tapping on the various window panes. Sometimes she has straw in her mouth. We have also seen the male who usually isn’t far off and seems to look at the other bird quizically. The male is brighter yellow and the female (the window tapper) is a paler yellow. Why doesn’t she focus on her nest? We have tried tapping on the window to scare her off, but she doesn’t even seem afraid, but taps right back at us. I hope that she can continue building her nest and not be distracted by her reflection in our windows. She also seems to know which room we are in and moves to tap on those windows. It’s all odd and amusing at the same time. We have a lot of windows, and I really don’t want to put up lots of streamers. I’m hoping that once she lays her eggs, the tapping will cease.