# Wild bird is trying to tell us something, but what? NEED ANSWER FAST
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 13, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732 "2020-05-13T17:38:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/1 "2020-05-13T17:38:55Z")
Northern Georgia. About 2 weeks ago we restocked our bird feeder in the backyard. Birds visit frequently.
One particular bird goes, alternately, from our left side (deck) windows, and our breakfast area back door (mostly glass; near feeder), and flies up and “taps” on the windows.
It is clearly trying to get our attention, but don’t know why. I’ve put out some additional feed on the deck railing hear that set of windows, but it continues.
Any ideas? I don’t want it to injure itself.
I did a quick look in online guides but I can’t identify the bird. It isn’t colorful like it might have been a pet (parakeet, etc). It is:
- grey/blue-grey back, wingtops, back of head
- white-ish belly/underside
- a bit of a “stick-out” on the back of the head, like a jay would have
Any ideas and advice appreciated.
---
### Author:  [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/2 "2020-05-13T17:49:08Z")
I’m guessing it’s not trying to get your attention, it’s trying to [fight the bird it sees in the glass](https://empressofdirt.net/birds-pecking-windows/').
Yes, wild birds very often do mistake their own reflection for a rival bird and react aggressively.
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### Author:  [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/3 "2020-05-13T17:52:09Z")
Hmm. You could be right. None of the windows involved have screens. But I should add that it can perch right next to the window; it does not peck at that point; rather, it flies up about two feet then pecks.
**UPDATED WITH PHOTO** :
[[Album] Bird that pecks on our window  ](https://imgur.com/a/AtMkIVS)
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/4 "2020-05-13T17:52:54Z")
Let me tell you about the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees…
The bird is not trying to attract _your_ attention.
---
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/5 "2020-05-13T17:57:46Z")
Yep, he’s looking for a date or a fight. Cute little thing.
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/6 "2020-05-13T18:06:15Z")
> [@Raza](#):
>
> Hmm. You could be right. None of the windows involved have screens. But I should add that it can perch right next to the window; it does not peck at that point; rather, it flies up about two feet then pecks.
>
> **UPDATED WITH PHOTO** :
> [Bird that pecks on our window - Album on Imgur](https://imgur.com/a/AtMkIVS)
It’s a [Tufted Titmouse.](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/overview) (Don’t snicker. That’s it’s actual name.:))
It’s breeding season. It’s trying to attack and chase away the other Titmouse it sees in the glass. It flies up to try to attack the other bird from above, but gets faked out when the other bird does the exact same thing! :mad::mad::mad:
It doesn’t care about your presence. It probably attacks the other bird even when you’re nowhere around.
---
### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/7 "2020-05-13T18:06:23Z")
Common breeding behavior, the bird sees its reflection and wants to clear the bird it sees from its territory.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/8 "2020-05-13T18:21:46Z")
Put soap or stickers or something on the window for a while to break up the reflection. The bird might indeed hurt itself.
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### Author:  [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/9 "2020-05-13T18:32:10Z")
Thanks folks, will reinstall screens or something. And I appreciate the bird ID !
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/10 "2020-05-14T06:36:53Z")
For fun, you should put up a lifelike sticker of a tufted titmouse blown up 5x larger. That’ll teach it to mess with your window.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/11 "2020-05-14T06:43:05Z")
> [@Raza](#):
>
> Northern Georgia. About 2 weeks ago we restocked our bird feeder in the backyard. Birds visit frequently.
>
> One particular bird goes, alternately, from our left side (deck) windows, and our breakfast area back door (mostly glass; near feeder), and flies up and “taps” on the windows.
>
> It is clearly trying to get our attention, but don’t know why. I’ve put out some additional feed on the deck railing hear that set of windows, but it continues.
>
> Any ideas? I don’t want it to injure itself.
>
> I did a quick look in online guides but I can’t identify the bird. It isn’t colorful like it might have been a pet (parakeet, etc). It is:
>
> - grey/blue-grey back, wingtops, back of head
> - white-ish belly/underside
> - a bit of a “stick-out” on the back of the head, like a jay would have
>
> Any ideas and advice appreciated.
It’s telling you that Snuffalupagus is real.
---
### Author:  [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/12 "2020-05-14T06:43:28Z")
Timmy fell into the well. Duh.
---
### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/13 "2020-05-14T15:19:36Z")
It hates the store-brand bird feed you recently purchased to save money, and wants you to go back to the premium brand?
---
### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/14 "2020-05-14T17:37:28Z")
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
---
### Author:  [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/15 "2020-05-14T17:40:38Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#):
>
> Put soap or stickers or something on the window for a while to break up the reflection. The bird might indeed hurt itself.
I’ve heard suggestions involving the fake cobwebs you can get around Halloween. Even one or two unspooled cotton balls will create the same effect. Birds don’t wanna get tangled in sticky spiderwebs and avoid them.
---
### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/16 "2020-05-14T19:53:51Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#):
>
> Put soap or stickers or something on the window for a while to break up the reflection. The bird might indeed hurt itself.
A robin was assaulting my window at work. A cut out Morris from a bag of cat food and taped it to the window. He quit hitting the window. I could have used a blank piece of paper for that matter, but I wanted to do it with flair.
---
### Author:  [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/17 "2020-05-14T20:18:50Z")
The Mrs. informed me that, at times, it will actually perch on one of the screened windows and also exhibit the behavior, which seems especially odd since the screen cuts out so much reflection.
But I added back the screens to the three deck windows, and that seems to have helped a lot. I also set a folded chair against the mostly-glass back door, and that has helped as well.
---
### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/18 "2020-05-14T21:41:26Z")
We are getting the same thing (I don’t know what species it is). He is trying several different windows in the house. He is not dive bombing them. He gets close, then flutters up into the glass.
It’s mating season.
---
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/19 "2020-05-14T22:27:19Z")
> [@Raza](#):
>
> The Mrs. informed me that, at times, it will actually perch on one of the screened windows and also exhibit the behavior, which seems especially odd since the screen cuts out so much reflection
If he’s still seeing enough reflection through the screen to think there’s another bird there he’ll continue to exhibit this behavior.
Even the most intelligent of birds won’t reliably figure out a reflection is not another bird, and while titmouse’s are cute as the dickens they are not the most intelligent of birds. Birds - of any intelligence - NEVER understand that window glass is a solid, or
that they can’t fly into a mirror’s reflection.
(Broomstick: kept by parrots since the 1990’s)
---
### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-bird-is-trying-to-tell-us-something-but-what-need-answer-fast/853732/20 "2020-05-15T00:42:15Z")
> [@Raza](#):
>
> Northern Georgia. About 2 weeks ago we restocked our bird feeder in the backyard. Birds visit frequently.
>
> One particular bird goes, alternately, from our left side (deck) windows, and our breakfast area back door (mostly glass; near feeder), and flies up and “taps” on the windows.
>
> It is clearly trying to get our attention, but don’t know why. I’ve put out some additional feed on the deck railing hear that set of windows, but it continues.
>
> Any ideas? I don’t want it to injure itself.
>
> I did a quick look in online guides but I can’t identify the bird. It isn’t colorful like it might have been a pet (parakeet, etc). It is:
>
> - grey/blue-grey back, wingtops, back of head
> - white-ish belly/underside
> - a bit of a “stick-out” on the back of the head, like a jay would have
>
> Any ideas and advice appreciated.
Have you looked in the abandoned mine lately?
And when was the last time you saw Timmy?
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