Why Do Birds Slam Into Windows?

Outside our guest bathroom window is a large palm tree. In that tree resides a bird with a mental issue. The bird slams itself into our bathroom window hundreds of times each day. Why do birds slam themselves into windows?

I am guessing this bird has a nest somewhere in the tree and is seeing a reflection of itself in the glass. When the bird attacks it is loud! You can hear it through out the house. The dog thinks somebody is trying to break in and I am concerned the glass will break. What can I do to prevent this berserk bird from being a pain in  my pane?

The experts say I need to break up the reflection of the glass by putting a white blind in the window or hanging a decorative piece in the window so the bird won't see it's image. I was thinking of just getting a large picture of a cat and seeing if that did the trick.

Have you ever experienced this? What did you do to make it stop?