Apr 06 2009
Windowstrike
It didn’t take an autopsy to determine the cause of death here. It was definitely Professor Plum, in the conservatory, with the candlestick.
There were actually feathers stuck to the window where this little White-throated Sparrow impacted. I tried to photograph the impact site to include here, but the camera kept wanting to focus on the cat on the other side of the window and not on the feathers. And that would have confused you. So I stopped.
Usually when I find these guys they are stunned for a few minutes and then fly along their merry way. This dude was way over the speed limit. On the window next to the one he struck was a large hawk decal on the outside of the glass. It only makes me feel a little better that the window is exerting a selective pressure against birds that fly towards predators. If the window didn’t get him the next hawk he flew into may have.
Poor little guy!
I’ve heard more than a few people complain that those hawk decals aren’t particularly effective. They’re stationary of course, so the birds get used to them inevitably. More interesting (to me) is that more cautious birds often take cues from bolder ones (esp. Tufted Titmouse, which are smart enough to see through these ploys!), so several species of birds will lose their fear collectively and begin taking the silhouette for granted.