Blue tit UK apparently trying to revive dead companion (1 Viewer)

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mark clements

New member

• Apr 15, 2019

• #1

Looked out of the lounge window this morning and saw a dead blue tit on the path, probable window strike, nothing unusual there, unfortunately.
Next thing, another blue tit landed next to it and started pecking the bejeppers out of it and dragging it.
It was totally unresponsive,and not moving in any way, but this went on for about minutes.
The second one flying to a nearby bush and then coming back down.
By the time I had showered, dressed and gone into the garden, the corpse was abot 75 centimetres from the start point, and it was cold, and hard to the touch, so dead a while.
I moved it away from the house, under a hedge, and the second bird has shown no further interest.
Most of the blue tits have already paired, so I am presuming this was a pair, and the survivor was trying to get the dead one to resond in some way.
It was not a gentle thing to see, it was very vigourous pecking and dragging.
Any ideas?
Thanks
H

 

PYRTLE

Old Berkshire Boy

• Apr 15, 2019

• #2

Could be a male, territorially attacking another one even though it had succumbed from window strike or otherwise. Some species are notoriously aggressive when defending their patch, partners or nest.

 

M

mark clements

New member

• Apr 15, 2019

• #3

PYRTLE said:

Could be a male, territorially attacking another one even though it had succumbed from window strike or otherwise. Some species are notoriously aggressive when defending their patch, partners or nest.

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Thank you for the insight.
The difficulty I have identifying males and females of some species when they're alive, makes me tip my hat to a blue tit that can tell if its a dead male or a dead female. :t:
Its an aspect of birding at which I always wonder at when species appearances and sounds are so similar. |:S|

H

 

PYRTLE

Old Berkshire Boy

• Apr 15, 2019

• #4

https://youtu.be/-VDbvAENsGI

Found this, ferocious blighters.

 

M

mark clements

New member

• Apr 15, 2019

• #5

PYRTLE said:

https://youtu.be/-VDbvAENsGI

Found this, ferocious blighters.

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sheesh, and the one inside the nest box too.
Could be one had done for the other, as the live one was really having that sort of a go at the dead one.

Cheers
H

 

kennethwfd

Well-known member

• Apr 16, 2019

• #6

I recently saw two male blackbirds doing something similar, one had pinned the other to the ground

Also birds will attack their own reflections in a window and end up battering themselves against it to frighten off "the rival"

 

Mike Crawley

Emeritus President at Burnage Rugby Club

• Apr 16, 2019

• #7

I saw a female Rosy Finch sp. fly into a house window near Aspen this time last year, it was eventually OK but it had hardly hit the floor before a male started to try and mate with it

 

M

mark clements

New member

• Apr 16, 2019

• #8

Mike C said:

I saw a female Rosy Finch sp. fly into a house window near Aspen this time last year, it was eventually OK but it had hardly hit the floor before a male started to try and mate with it

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Surely there should be laws about that!8-P

I would expect it of Mallards.

 

Paul Longland

Well-known member

• Apr 16, 2019

• #9

Blue tits may look small and cute but they can be extremely aggressive when threatened or defending their territories at nesting time. They have a reputation amongst ringers for being particularly fond of fingers. (Met one once who called them bitey mcbiteface)

 

T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member

• Apr 17, 2019

• #10

Paul Longland said:

Blue tits may look small and cute but they can be extremely aggressive when threatened or defending their territories at nesting time. They have a reputation amongst ringers for being particularly fond of fingers. (Met one once who called them bitey mcbiteface)

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As a trainee ringer I can vouch for that! They are very feisty. I can remember my first one in the hand - Being handed a mystery bag and quickly receiving a few surprisingly sharp pecks on my fingers, eventually I had it in the ringers grip, and whilst looking down at it still trying with all its might to head-butt me/peck my fingers off I remember thinking "Blue Tits are mental!".