Whilst on a visit to Leighton Moss last week we were watching a male blackbird who repeatedly jumped up at a poster several times in succession which had a male blackbird picture on it. It only launched itself at the blackbird picture; I know birds see their own reflections in glass or mirrors and react in territorial fashion but it is the first time we have seen a bird attack a poster - as there were lots of birds on the large signboard it only attacked the blackbird image so I guess birds do recognise drawings or pictures of their own species and act in the same manner as seeing a reflection. Thought it was interesting although by the time I thought about videoing the action he was perched on top of the blackbird picture ! I mentioned this behaviour to a couple of rspb staff members and they hadn't heard of this sort of thing before.
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Regards, Hazel
That is fascinating - also to my impression the bird on the poster is in quite an antagonistic, potentially territorial pose - if I spotted a male BB in the garden looking like that I would be looking to see who was about to be chased or into drawn into a punch up
Cin J
Thanks for your thoughts Caroline, as you say the bird on the poster has tail up so maybe seen as territorial. Although I've witnessed lots of different bird behaviours (especially corvids) this was something I hadn't seen before so was interesting. So much we don't know about birds and how they see or interpret different things. Whoever invented the term "bird brain" clearly didn't understand birds. LOL. I'd be flattered too be called a bird brain
Hopefully staff will cover over the 'static invader'.
Fingers crossed they do; I am not sure if this is happening on a regular basis but if so the behaviour will no doubt become exacerbated as breeding season approaches and territorial behaviour is at its most heightened. The blackbird was very perturbed by this picture and I mentioned it to two members of staff but unless someone is monitoring closely I doubt anything will be done to place something over the blackbird image. I'm back there in two weeks so will take another look; the image signboard is next to the feeding station area usually attracting a lot of birds.