Do you remember simply watching backyard birds as kids? You would just fill the feeders, and check off the birds in your birdwatching guide. Well, it is time to change that perception. There is a lot to discover about the feathered friends that visit your backyard. Even scientists with decades of experience have mystery surrounding the common behaviors that might change the way you engage with your birds.
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Check PriceWhy Cardinals Attack Your Car Mirrors (And Why They Won't Stop)
Each clash season, these wonderful shaded guests start to fight against their own reflection, and sometimes this can go on for weeks. Scientists know it is behavioral, but thousands of questions remain unanswered like why do cardinals engage in these pointless squabbles after the other birds stop? Individually, puzzling cardinals repeat these behaviors and always come back to the same mirror year after year, and it seems that they would lose the fight.
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The Unexplained Nighttime Melodies of American Robins
You're not wrong about the happy songs in the middle of the night. Robins really do sing at night, and they do it in the middle of the night. Even in the city robin's are known for singing at night. Initially, scientists believed this was cause by light pollution. However, they have found cases of robins singing at night in open rural areas that are totally dark. To top it off, new and different songs are sung at night than what is sung during the day.
Blue Jays' Mysterious 'Funeral' Rituals That Confound Researchers
When a blue jay finds a dead blue jay, something strange happens. Other blue jays gather and make calls in a completely different tone then they would normally use, and even bring small things like twigs and leaves. While scientists have recorded this behavior many times, they have been unable to find a reason behind these gatherings, and why such gatherings occur only for certain dead blue jays.
The Actual Reason Hummingbirds Dance in the Rain
Hummingbirds may be seen during light rain showers performing aerial ballets. These dances go beyond feeding or territorial displays. Some scientists suggest it is play behavior; however, others propose that these rain dances may serve a social or physiological function.
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Why do your Backyard birds suddenly freeze mid-motion
Everyone has witnessed birds at feeders go completely still for extended periods of time, sometimes even in awkward positions. Research has shown that birds tend to freeze at potential threats, however in the absence of threats, birds still freeze and even continue to eat while predators are present. What causes this phenomenon is still unknown.
The Mysterious Behavior of Crows Leaving Present for People
Researchers have been trying to figure out why crows gift specific small trinkets, like buttons or earrings, to certain people. These highly intelligent birds exhibit elaborate relationships with people, but gift giving is not typically associated with any form of social behavior found in social animal behavior studies. To add to the mystery, crows appear to select different types of objects to gift different people.
Why does nobody seem to understand those Woodpecker Drum Solos at Dawn?
Despite the plethora of information available on woodpecker drumming to locate food or establish dominance over a territory, there appears to be a lack of information regarding the phenomenon of their dawn performances. The early morning concerts are on metal gutters and antennas, and leave scientists scratching their heads. The dawn performances seem to follow a complex pattern of rhythms that are not only region dependent, but suggest some form of cultural learning. However, these resonate performances remain unexplained, especially regarding the choice of metallic construction over wooden, and the reason for performances peaking at dawn.
The Truth About Birds' Weird Naps on One Leg
Numerous scientific theories exist about the common phenomenon of birds sleeping while standing on one leg, none of which comprehensively account for the behavior. While some theories state the sleeping birds may be standing on one leg for the sake of conserving body temperature, thermal imaging has shown that standing on one leg during sleep does not have any significant effect on the bird's body temperature. It is also strange that birds can remain asleep while switching legs and alternating legs appears to be some sort of internal rhythm.
Why Do Chickadees Remember Your Face (And Hold Grudges)
These little birds can remember human faces and can even teach their young to do the same! Although the ability to recognize faces has been observed in larger members of the corvid family, the size of a chickadee's brain has scientists scratching their heads regarding how they do such a difficult cognitive task. It is also a mystery why they remember some humans and ignore others.
The Unexplained 'Dive-Bombing' Behavior of Nesting Birds
It is a natural instinct for birds to shelter their young from perceived threats. However, the precise reasons for their “dive bombing” behavior is an unexplained phenomenon. For reasons unknown, birds may single out individuals for these attacks while ignoring others in their vicinity. Some of these birds may continue these attacks long after their young have left the nest, and may dive bomb the same individuals for multiple seasons.
