Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

JeanValJohnFranco t1_j94gby1 wrote

My parents had an amazing bird feeder right outside our living room window growing up and this is by far my number one takeaway from decades of amateur birdwatching. There would be dozens of birds, finches, robins, cardinals, you name it, peacefully coexisting and happily snacking on the limitless free seed we put out. But every once in awhile some asshole bluejay would show up and every time it would peck and claw at every other bird at the feeder until it was the only one there.

54

CrouchingToaster t1_j94ty86 wrote

Same situation at my parents place, we came to the same conclusion and also found out that Turtle doves don't know they are fatasses (relative to the other birds). They'd push over the weight limit for feeders trying to sit on them and be super confused that they couldnt get seeds.

16

msuvagabond t1_j9e5n5p wrote

Mourning doves are like the least situationally aware birds in existence. My parent's bird feeder will have upwards of two dozen birds on and around it (there is a bath there as well) and often at least two or three squirrels. Sooooo often EVERYTHING would vanish, except the couple doves that are there. It's obvious to me, in the house and twenty feet from the window that a hawk is around, but they can't figure it out while they're actually out there...

2