Two days ago I posted a photo of a female Cardinal. I took this one the same day. We had our granddaughter staying with us and she and I were watching a movie together. My wife came back and sort of whispered in my ear, "Did you hear the two thumps?" I told her, "No" and she said a male and female Cardinal flew into the window of our laundry room. I looked out the dining room window and could see them both. She wasn't moving but he was a little. They were laying side by side head to tail. I got my coat on and went out. By then he managed to turned himself so that they were head to head and they were both dead. We both felt terrible. You try to keep them healthy through the winter months by putting out seed and this happens. I don't know if the two I photographed were the ones since we had 7 or 8 pairs of Cardinals at our feeder. https://365project.org/blog/official-top-20-chart-week-341
beautiful shot in the falling snow. Matches so well with the female you posted. What a shame about the two cardinals crashing - we've had the same problem but usually with the smaller birds. Found another under the window today - we've tried several things, but still they hit the windows.
@milaniet - One thing that my wife read was that you should keep feeders 10 or more feet away from any window to reduce the chance of them flying into it. But I guess that isn't a sure thing.
I think when the light is right, they only see reflection from the window and think its somewhere to fly! Mostly they don't die of a broken neck but of cardiac failure and there is nothing you can do about it! Gorgeous picture of this one in the snow! fav
how very sad. I know a little of how you reel. I remember years ago we fed the birds - most of them quite large, and one day we got home and an enormous carpet python was on the bird feeding table with an enormous lump in his tummy....we felt dreadful for having set up his smorgasbord. your photo is so beautiful
Such a gorgeous bird. This may seem a bit macabre, but did you take a photo of the two deceased birds together? It just sounds so symbolically beautiful.
@ludwigsdiana - We did feel bad. I buried them side by side underneath a lilac bush that they would frequent when waiting their turn at the feeder. Every Spring when the lilacs are in bloom it will make us think of these two beautiful birds.
