Why did the robin attack the minivan? N.S. family solves a mystery for the birds

Earlier this month, Cassie Gilmour noticed a robin on her silver minivan.

The bird flew repeatedly at the van's windows, mirrors, and even the shiny metal border around the windows. It was scratching, pecking and flying up against the vehicle.

"It's been an ongoing bird war," said Gilmour, who lives in Sydney River, N.S.

The bizarre behaviour led to scratches and even a small crack in the windshield. The feisty bird has also been attacking several of the windows on her house.

Gilmour took to the internet for advice on how to make the bird stop. Some suggested the colour red might deter the robin, so she taped pieces of red construction paper in the van's windows and covered part of her vehicle with a red blanket. 

When that didn't work, she tried putting out some plastic owls to intimidate the robin but to no avail.

Then a local bird expert said the only solution is to cover up any reflective surfaces.

"I'm going to presume it's a male robin and male robins defend a small territory around where they nest and wherever the female is that they've mated with is building a nest," said Dave McCorquodale, a professor of biology at Cape Breton University.

"If they see a reflection on a window and any smooth surface, they're going to make the conclusion that it's not them, it's another male."

It's a little unusual the robin is being so persistent but McCorquodale said it should settle down soon. A nest is now perched on a ledge on Gilmour's house.

"When they're feeding young out of the nest or in the nest, the males are not going to be too concerned about what's going on in the mirror," he said.

"It's got better things to do."

For Gilmour's part, she has accepted the bird is here to stay for the next few weeks. Although she took down the first attempt at a nest, she decided to let it be when it tried again. Finding an egg in the nest sealed the deal.

"Being a mother, I don't have heart to take the second one down," she said.