# Strange bird behavior **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682 "2019-04-17T17:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/21 "2019-04-19T14:02:04Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Bird behavior can almost always be shown to be about feeding, fighting, or fucking. No other species exhibits such behavior. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/22 "2019-04-19T17:06:46Z")
It’s obviously come to assist with the making of a gown for the prince’s ball. You wouldn’t happen to have noticed any mice dragging spools of thread around, have you? ---
**Author:** ![Dingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/23 "2019-04-19T19:36:26Z")
It’s been stormy here overnight and today, so I’ve had the window next to my desk open. (Yes, open. I’m crazy for rain and when it starts raining I open windows instead of closing them.) The bird showed up as usual. He sat on a perch a foot away and looking straight through the open window at me. We kind of stared each other down for a while. I was thinking “C’mon, let’s do this. You want in? The window’s open! Your move.” After a while he flew off and went to the transom window over my front door, where he’s currently pecking away. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/24 "2019-04-19T19:47:56Z")
We have Robins that do this behavior. [Here is some discussion](https://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Cardinals-Windows.html). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/25 "2019-04-19T22:12:25Z")
I have blue jays that dive bomb me and the dogs when we are out side. They also scare other nesting birds away and steal their nests. They are the bullies of the bird world. I have seen them pecking the squirrel feeder that’s made of a gallon glass jar. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/26 "2019-04-20T16:55:30Z")
Are you sure the bird is following you? Is it possible that the bird is pecking at all the windows, and that you only notice when it pecks at a window of the room you’re in? Does the cowbird ever call you “compeer”? ---
**Author:** ![StrangeBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@StrangeBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangeBird)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/27 "2019-04-21T12:54:59Z")
How dare you, my behaviour is fine. :mad: I don’t have any particular insights to add in this case, I just couldn’t resist commenting. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/28 "2019-04-22T01:36:45Z")
Animals are weird. That is about all. The bird could have a parasite that makes it behave funny. Spike its’ food with antibiotics? You probably should not do that. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/29 "2019-04-22T02:40:24Z")
> [@Jet\_Jaguar](#): > > It’s obviously come to assist with the making of a gown for the prince’s ball. You wouldn’t happen to have noticed any mice dragging spools of thread around, have you? Awesome. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/30 "2019-04-22T05:21:05Z")
I can’t be the only one thinking that the wildlife specialist is in cahoots with the bird. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/31 "2019-04-22T14:27:58Z")
I think the bird probably was trying to interact with its reflection. I know the OP said no reflection was evident, but to be absolutely sure of that, you have to look at the window from exactly where the bird was sitting, and also, you have to consider that birds have different vision to humans (and can see parts of the spectrum we can’t). I’ve observed this before on several different occasions with several different bird species - the bird is seeing its own reflection in the glass and is either trying to fight, mate or exchange food with it. Edited to add: it’s not following you - it’s doing this with all of your windows - you don’t notice when it does it against a window somewhere else, only when it does it when you are there. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/32 "2019-04-22T15:22:34Z")
It’s a witch’s familiar! Run!! Or if that’s not practical, try wearing your underwear inside out. My German mother told me that doing so will keep witches away. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/33 "2019-04-24T21:00:32Z")
Obviously, you need to get your own witch’s familiar to protect you. Try a black cat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/34 "2019-04-24T21:34:34Z")
A couple of years ago, I broke up a murder of crows…murdering another crow. He was flopping around and they were pecking at him. They broke up at my approach, and he got away. He owes me. Mention my name the next time you see this bird, the word must have gotten around. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/35 "2019-04-24T21:53:21Z")
I want a pet crow. Anyone know how to catch one? Salt on the tail doesn’t work. I put salt on my dogs tail and they just run(fly) from her. Just, just…out of reach. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Dingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/36 "2019-04-24T22:00:06Z")
Thanks. I’ll drop your name and see if it helps. He’s taken to waiting at my bathroom window in the early morning when I wake up. Or coincidentally being there repeatedly at that time staring at his reflection, when there is almost no light from inside or out. Take your pick. So apparently this bird is convinced that either a) this brick box in his territory is just chock full of birds that look exactly like him and every single one of them is an aggressive sonofabitch or b) that human guy in there has a pretty nice nest going. How about I bring my lady over and we drop an egg, see what happens, huh? (That’s the cowbird way. They don’t build their own nests. They lay eggs in another bird’s nest, often a smaller bird, and then the cowbird chick overwhelms the others to take most of the food from the now overworked and confused parents. They can try this with me, but I think my hungry teenage son is up to the challenge.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/37 "2019-04-25T00:14:16Z")
Did I mention that I taped a cat food picture of a cat to the window to keep away a suicidal robin? That sucker owes me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/38 "2019-04-25T02:14:23Z")
We once had a woodpecker that would constantly attack it’s reflection in our bathroom window, so we taped a picture of an owl to the window because we’ve seen plastic owls mounted on the end of boat docks to keep seagulls away. The woodpecker just switched to attacking the picture’s eyes. We then put a toy rubber alligator on the ledge outside the window and the bird finally kept it’s distance from that. It would still hang out in the tree outside the window, but it was too scared to get any closer. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/39 "2019-04-25T02:41:20Z")
Get a bunch of plastic snakes and put them on the window sills. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682/40 "2019-04-25T14:40:08Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Get a bunch of plastic snakes and put them on the window sills. That will also keep neighbors away. Cool! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-bird-behavior/832682.md?page=3)