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Post by Psamathe on Jun 11, 2020 8:40:01 GMT
A rook from a local rookery has taken to attacking windows of my and neighbours house. No windows in particular and most of attack directed at the wooden fill-it bit holding the glass in and mostly attacking bottom horizontal one.
And it's obsessive. Starts about 5:00am, continues through day finishing around 18:00. When not attacking windows (it flies off when you approach) it's in nearby trees crying Whaaah, Whaah, ..." and it's different windows (house, garage, neighbour). and it's vicious, not an occasional peck whilst standing on the windowsill but really "going for it" (you can hear the attacks throughout the house).
Whilst I tend to let wildlife do it's stuff, these attacks are now causing damage (I'll have to repair/replace and re-paint quite a few windows now, several days work!).
What is it up to (1st step in stopping it).
Generally one or two rooks in the garden through the day, wandering around but always staying well away from the house. This one seems to have "flipped". It's a significant size so I'd guess not a fledgling.
Thanks
Ian
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Post by accipiter on Jun 11, 2020 12:33:08 GMT
Not only corvids but a number of species do this, consensus of opinion say it’s territorial behaviour in as much as it sees it’s reflection as a rival. Incidentally, it’s often the male of the species that do this in my experience although it’s not possible to sex covids in the field only by breeding behaviour. However I have seen male blackbirds and male chaffinch’s doing this where it’s quite easy to sex these species in the field.
Can I suggest you try drawing the curtains although I heard some people place a raptor sticker on the window glass, however if it’s any consolation they normally give up in the end.
Alan
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Post by Psamathe on Jun 11, 2020 13:00:56 GMT
Can I suggest you try drawing the curtains although I heard some people place a raptor sticker on the window glass, however if it’s any consolation they normally give up in the end. Alan Many thanks As a test, I've tried: - hanging old CDs in front of the lower part of the window - shiny so he might attack those or they might knock against him (moved by the wind) and scare him off.
- Covering lower half of a window with cling-film - which goes on really unevenly so makes the window more like a bathroom patterned/frosted window and might discourage him (but cling film might not stay on).
I can't see either of those measures hurting him but can't allow the damage to continue. Too early to say if they are discouraging him.
Strange thing is "he" is eating the cherries off the cherry trees around. Loss of cherries does not bother me (I never net the trees so regard them as providing wildlife food anyway), but at this time of year the cherries are tiny, hard small green things that I'd have thought quite unappealing to birds.
Ian
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Post by accipiter on Jun 11, 2020 15:57:10 GMT
I have heard spraying them with water works as a last resort, using one of those powerful toy spray guns; on the question of cherries they also like walnuts too which they take straight off the tree. Anyway do keep in touch I’d be interested to know the outcome.
Alan
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Post by rowanberry on Jun 11, 2020 20:01:55 GMT
I did a search, and another thing I found recommended is to soap the windows so there's no reflection. This might work, provide these aren't windows you need to see out of yourself.
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Post by Psamathe on Jun 11, 2020 20:19:02 GMT
I did a search, and another thing I found recommended is to soap the windows so there's no reflection. This might work, provide these aren't windows you need to see out of yourself. What sort of soap? I'd expect it to wash off. Unsure if the CDs or cling-film worked or not as it's been raining all day and whilst the rook hasn't attacked windows again, he hasn't been around (flew through once) so maybe the weather change has caused a behaviour change? We've had the nearby rookery from before I moved here (11+ years ago) and neighbours been here longer and none of us have seen this behaviour before. Ian |
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Post by accipiter on Jun 12, 2020 8:13:32 GMT
We've had the nearby rookery from before I moved here (11+ years ago) and neighbours been here longer and none of us have seen this behaviour before. Ian That’s because it’s just one individual that’s doing this Ian, it could even be an imprinted bird by that I mean it’s been kept and brought up by someone, I have experience of this since I rescued and kept a number of covid species for a number of years. You wouldn’t believe the capers an imprinted bird can get up to, without going into to detail covids are still kept today as decoy birds by certain individuals so it could even be an escapee. I assure you spraying it with water will work but it would require stealth and waiting for the bird to return, that’s no problem for me since I’m use to spending a great deal of time studying bird behaviour. This would no doubt also require a hide in the case of covids occupied by just one person, so it’s no good you thinking taking another person in the hide and one leaving in the hope the bird will think it’s unoccupied, since they know it’s still occupied as they sit and watch every small detail. Believe it or not corvids will even watch nests being built and remember where the nest is only to return later to rob it of its contents. However, I appreciate not everyone can spend the amount of time it will require to catch this bird off guard since there’s often no easy answerers other than the one I’ve described; e.g. The fox never caught the chicken by displaying its wares first. Alan |
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Post by Psamathe on Jun 13, 2020 12:17:01 GMT
A few updates & observations about this individual's behaviour - Hanging CDs over the lower part of window seems to prevent attacks (wire to top and they swing about in the wind)
- Putting cling-film over the lower part of the window (uneven, crinkled) seems to prevent attack
- In the rain/overcast weather attacks mostly stopped though bird did fly nearby at least once
- Only attack was to an upstairs window not CD'd nor cling-film'd
Whilst the bird does not favour particular windows there are a few windows that are not attacked and I can't see the logic e.g. on one wall outside door (without glass) and similar sized windows either side (one starting 2 ft away from door, other side window against the door) and windows to left were regularly attacked and windows to right never attacked. The bird is still around (you can hear its cries) but is spending less time around the house - where before it was close-by most of the day (you could hear it 5:00'ish to 18:00'ish) now it's around for maybe 15 mins every few hours. Thanks for the suggestions and information. Ian |
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