| Territorial Robin |
[27 Apr 2008|09:57am] |
Two or three days ago a robin began pecking at one of our windows ... for hours. Then it began throwing itself (gently, but still) against the neighboring window. Then it went back to pecking. Then it combined the two. For hours.
One of the cats became convinced that if she only waited long enough and tried hard enough, she could catch it. Several futile leaps later she gave up and rested on the back of the couch where she could watch its antics in comfort. It continued to peck and fly at the window. I waved at it, repeatedly, which each time chased it away only briefly. Eventually I gave up and closed the blinds, which caused it to go away for the rest of that day.
The next morning it was back again, pecking behind closed blinds, so I opened them. It went on. And on. I feared for its health but could find nothing that would make it stay away. What, I wondered, could be going on in its tiny mind?
I googled and learned that it's probably territorial and defending a near-nest area from the perceived enemy reflected in the window. I'll buy this, though you'd think different times of day might change the reflection adequately that it wouldn't be an all-day thing. Still, it's the best explanation I can think of, and nothing suggested to stop it that we've tried has worked.
They did say it might exhaust itself but is unlikely to kill itself. I hope they're right. It's supposed to stop entirely once its chicks leave the nest. Good heavens, I doubt the chicks are even eggs yet!
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