This is usually a territorial behaviour, which occurs mainly in the breeding season: the bird sees its own reflection in the glass as a rival. Their determination to drive away the intruder makes them difficult to deter.
This is usually because they can see their own reflection, and think it is a challenger for their territory. Birds such as the Laughing Kookaburra, Little Raven, Grey Butcherbird and the Australian Magpie-lark have been seen to do this.
This is a problem that is most common in spring as male birds are establishing and defending territories. The male sees his reflection in the window and thinks it is a rival trying to usurp his territory. He flies at the window to try and make the rival leave.
Birds attack and peck at windows because they're incredibly territorial, especially during nesting season. What happens is that they see their reflection in a window and notice this other good-looking bird as an “intruder” and “threat”, and attack to scare it away.
The presence of a bird can be seen as a sign of good luck, blessings, or warnings. One interpretation of bird visitations is that they bring messages from the spirit or the universe. Some people believe that birds are messengers from the divine realm, such as angels, spirit guides, or ancestors.
To ensure success, they defend their territory aggressively, and will attack and try to drive away any bird they view as a possible competitor or a threat to their young. When they see their own reflection in your window, they assume they're seeing a competitor and attack the image.
For most of the year, Magpies are friendly and sociable, and may even venture into your house to beg for food. But for four to six weeks a year during August to September, the male Magpie will defend his home vigorously. For the rest of the year, people are completely safe from swooping Magpies!
They believe the magpie will never inject any sort of bad luck if the person keeps the bird happy or shows utter respect. People are told that he/she should salute or wave at a magpie to show respect. Some also believe that greeting the bird also helps to fend off bad luck.
In spite of the frequency with which people collide with glass, most people are sure that they can actually see it. In fact, glass is invisible to both birds and people: you can see the dirt on dirty glass, but not the glass itself.
They are considered a messenger of good luck and are known as “birds of joy." For instance, if you see a magpie or if a magpie builds a nest near your home, that may be an indication and positive omen of incoming success and good news.
The most common Magpie superstition is the bad luck of seeing a Magpie alone. Magpie rhyme: 'One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for secrets to never be told. '
To enjoy the small things as well as the large. Not to take life too seriously. To be kind to others and try to bring joy to them also. To enjoy life, because life is too short to be miserable.
If you describe someone as a magpie, you mean that they like collecting and keeping things, often things that have little value.
Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an animal behaviour expert has claimed. Dr Bekoff, of the University of Colorado, said these rituals prove that magpies, usually seen as an aggressive predator, also have a compassionate side.
Although magpies will peck around in the soil looking for insects, the main garden damage is done to the lawn where they create holes while looking for grubs, such as leatherjackets and chafer grubs. That being said, magpies are a useful control for these two root-eating plant pests.
Like dogs, magpies seem to sense fear and may capitalise on this by pressing on with harassing any perceived threat. Occasionally, a magpie will actually strike an intruder on the head with its bill. While such strikes are rare, magpies can inflict serious injuries.
Aside from their overactive sense of danger, magpies are fairly intelligent birds which can recognise and remember human faces, and won't attack people they don't consider threats.
In a series of experiments, British scientists debunked the common myth that magpies are inveterate trinket thieves. They found that far from being attracted to shiny objects, the black and white birds tended to avoid them.
Shiny Objects
The reflection of light off of these objects discourages birds from returning to these areas. These shiny objects, such as old CDs, aluminum cans, tin foil, small mirrors, or even metallic wrapping paper, can be hung near nesting or landing areas frequented by the problematic birds.
Birds don't see a reflection; they see an intruder. They can spend hours flying at this illusion, determined to drive away "the other bird." The most common songbird species that attack their reflections (and your windows) are Northern Cardinals, American Robins, bluebirds, towhees, sparrows and sometimes mockingbirds.
Only one bird species has shown evidence of self-recognition and that's the magpie. The birds are capable of recognizing a non-natural mark on their feathers and preening it until it no longer appears in a mirror.