Hi everyone. I'm new to this so I don't know if this IS strange behaviour or not
Lately we are getting lots of Long tailed tits banging into our windows and tapping on the glass. It happens at all the windows and doors and seems like they want to come in! We have an acre of trees in the garden so why do they like the house?!! It is amusing to watch especially for the cats
Helen
Hello Helen, welcome to the WildlifeUK Forums. I have heard this strange event happening before, but I personally have not witnessed it.
I think maybee the Long Tailed Tits can see their reflections in the glass, and are reacting to this. I am not sure, so sorry!
I have just done some research for you
:
Some birds will peck at window frames all year round. They find tiny little insects in the corners of the frames to eat. But in early spring, when birds start singing and establishing their territories, we often receive e-mails from people asking why birds are actually knocking on the glass of their windows.
What's normally happening is that the birds are seeing their own reflection in the glass. They assume it's a rival trying to take over their patch, and so they peck at it to try and drive it away.
Another cause could be an ornament of a bird on a window ledge. Again this could be mistaken for a rival.
It's not just houses which receive this treatment either. Shiny car windows are often pecked at in the same way. I once watched a blackbird attacking it's own reflection in a car wing mirror for three days before it finally gave up and moved on.
Hi Jamie, thanks for the reply and the welcome
There's definitely no ornaments of birds around, just REAL cats! I wondered about reflections but this is happening on both sides of the house at the same time when the sun is in the same position. I was in my eldest daughters room with 2 of our cats and they suddenly stared at the window. When I looked over a lil bird banged and landed on the window sill then tapped on the glass. I moved into the reception area and he/she did it again right next to me on the frosted glass of the door. Last year they just tapped the one same window but now they are using them all. I tried to take a pic today but they weren't that clear at all. I will try to attach it as I'm just guessing it's a long tailed tit. I had my camera set up in our bedroom today through the doors at the bird table hoping to get some nice pics but the bird prefered a window again! Where is Steven King when u need him lol.
I think maybee the causes are:
Teritorial
Defense for Young
Insects
Hello Helen31, I'd like to add my own welcome to Jamie's
.
I do think it is mostly a matter of territorial behaviour. I've just answered a similar question asked by someone in the United States, so it's not just something local!
Normally this behaviour stops in a few weeks, when the birds have mated, and settled down to nesting.
Kingfisher
Hello Helen and again Welcome. I agree with the others on this regarding the territorial aggression shown by bird to their reflections.
I take it that you meant SIMON King (the wildllife cameraman) and not STEPHEN King (the horror novelist) in your last post!! Made me chuckle!
A horror novelist! Lol
I didn't even notice the mistake in the first place!
Ah, eyes like a hawk me young man!
Hi. I have just found your debate through a search on Google. We live in rural Herefordshire and of late have been very aware of long tailed tits tapping on our windows. This has been going on for a couple of months. At times it is incessant. My sons complain of being woken up by them and they seem to do it all round the house at all times of the day. We have noticed that the birds seem to almost follow us arouund the house- tapping on the bedroom window when upstairs and a few minutes later tapping beside me whilst I work on the computer in the office, then off to the kitchen. The house sits in an acre of mature garden- lots of trees etc. In the past long tailed tits have visited in small groups of 5 or 6 birds- quite shy- arriving at the bird feeder together and soon flitting off. The tapping is relatively new- and much more evident this year than any previous. Ken
Welcome to the Forum Ken!
I read that Long Tailed tits use cobwebs for nesting, they seemed to have been particulalry keen on a window with a large cobweb in the corner.
I also read that they will fly into green houses and clean out the cobwebs.
I'd better clean that cobweb.
Hi Helen
I've got no info on Long Tailed Tits that hasn't already been said really.
However, what I will say is - Welcome to the site and great to have you on board. We're a quiet site which means its easier for me (The Bear) to keep up. We've a good variety of members who know a lot about a different varierty of Natural History subjects as well as other things. We're also a very photographic orientated site so your pic of your Long Tailed Tit is great and most welcome.
So Helen, welcome again, join in the banter and keep posting.
Yogi.
Looks like we have two more new members who have posted on this thread. So, a big welcome to Stoofer and Ken as well. My welcome post to Helen also applies to you both.
Yogi.
I guess that glass must be a pretty confusing thing for anything in nature...