crazy chaffinch

[margaretta]

Can anyone please explain why a female chaffinch should launch herself at my bedroom widow, tapping her beak on one particular pane of glass, in the same corner every time? She starts at about 6.45 am, and keeps it up for several hours every morning. Nothing can be seen on the outside of the window or frame. The same thing happened last year about this time, and continued for about 2 weeks. This year it started last Saturday, and has happened every morning since. It can't be her reflection, because she approaches from different angles, but always attacks the same spot on the same pane. She seems quite happy, as she sings between attacks!
I hope someone can clear up the mystery.

[jonah20813]

This strange behaviour, however, has a less romantic, more scientific explanation. Birds attack shiny surfaces because they see their own reflections. In the case of a window, the bird does not see through the glass: it sees a reflection of the outside, possibly trees and the sky, and another bird of its own species. The real bird does not recognize itself and mistakes the reflected bird for a competitor for territory or mates. It attacks the image in the window, trying to drive the other bird away.

[jomifl]

Birds don't sing because they are happy. They sing to establish territory, intimidate rivals or to attract mates.

[smurfchops]

This happened to me, with a chaffinch, a few years ago. It is somewhere hear in the archives of Answerbank if you can find it ! It happened for a couple of weeks, she changed windows sometimes, I thought it was a mating thing and that she might have been showing off but it only happened one year, I never saw her again. In fact I have never seen a chaffinch where I live, before or since.

[Brinjal]

I had a weaver bird that would come right inside and attack the bathroom mirror. Did it for ages was very. Naughty because it would knock things over.