Why do birds fly in front of cars?
Birds fly in front of cars as a defensive mechanism to protect their nest and/or territory. This can include mother birds protecting their nest of eggs or babies.
It’s essential to realize for the bird, your car is nothing more than another predator lurking in the area.
As a result, the bird is going to do everything in its power to scare you away. This includes trying to come right at the car.
The signs can include:
- Darting Down at the Car
- Flying in Front of the Vehicle
- Circling the Vehicle
It’s important to note, this isn’t the same as a bird flying across a road.
In those situations, a bird may simply take the wrong flight path and end up getting hit by the car. There are also some occasions where birds don’t see the vehicle and just notice a reflection from the windshield (common on brighter days!).
When his happens, they may fly right into the windshield leading to injury or death.
However, when you start asking, “Why do birds fly in front of cars?” it is often associated with them going on the defensive and protecting their area.
Here is more on the question “Why do birds fly in front of cars?” while also assessing what you can do when a bird starts flying close to the car.
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What To Do If Birds Fly In Front of Your Car
1. Slow Down
This is more of a common sense suggestion, but one that has to be listed.
If you are asking “Why do birds fly in front of cars?” it’s likely time to slow down. You don’t want to start speeding in a bid to avoid them.
Not only is this dangerous for the birds, but it is also dangerous for you in the vehicle! You can easily lose control of the car by doing this and your reaction time is going to be shot too!
Be smart and just slow down a bit while moving past the area.
Remember, the average bird is just looking to scare you.
It is not going to try to attack you, so that is not something to be worried about. Instead, you can easily stay safe as long as you are patient about what you are doing while driving.
If you drive slowly, the bird is eventually going to realize you are not a threat and is going to go away on its own.
2. Take a Different Route
Is it possible for you to take a different route?
If so, it is better to just go down that route rather than testing your luck. Yes, you are going to be safe in the vehicle, but it can be disconcerting to have a bird come right in front of your eyeline!
This is something you want to avoid as much as possible.
By taking a different route, you are going to get rid of the problem entirely. This alone makes it a worthwhile suggestion that is easy to apply for most people.
What if you can’t take a different route?
In that case, just try to slow down and possibly stay to one side of the road. This is going to make it easier to get past the birds without scaring them too much and/or causing them or yourself to panic.
3. Use a Windshield Reflector (When Parked!)
This is a good tip for those who tend to park their vehicle all the time and see birds flying around.
If these birds tend to get agitated and are always flying at the vehicle, it might be time to think about a safe solution that is not pricey.
This is where the windshield reflector comes into the equation.
A lot of cars reflect sun as soon as it is bright outside. This means the bird can’t see that there is a car there when they’re flying around, especially when looking straight down at a windshield.
As a result, they fly full speed into the windshield leading to serious injury.
To help them out, you are recommended to set up a windshield reflector for your car. This is going to help with the birds and is also going to keep the car cool during the warmer months!
Final Thoughts
Why do birds fly in front of cars?
In the end, it is all about protection and that is the only thing on their mind at the time. They see a vehicle and assume it’s a predator that is entering their area.
As a result, they need to protect it to the best of their ability without attacking. It is just a warning sign in their eyes when they’re hovering in front of the car.
Don’t get alarmed and continue driving carefully.
Here is more on birds and their habits – when do birds fly south, giving rabbit food to birds, birds getting high, and mental health in birds.