Bird won't stop pecking on my window

daisychain

Really hope someone can help here.

I've been living in my current house for 5 years with my partner, we built this house on a site so there's no "history" with the house. Last week my partners dad died suddenly and tragically. The day he died there was a bird pecking on our window in the morning, it sounded like a rhythmic 3 knocks on the door. He died that evening. Since then the bird has been back every evening, pecking so desperately that the windows are now scratched. It is only the windows at the back of the house and the detached garage.

Yesterday morning I phoned a well known psychic (not a premium number I had her home number) who said not to be afraid of it that birds sometimes carry the souls of the dead. My other half googled it and got lots of articles about birds being bad omens and a warning of forthcoming death. The psychic said his soul wouldn't have passed over yet and he's possibly sending a message that he's still around. All my partners siblings and his mother have been staying in our house since the death, and the plan was that they would stay here indefinitely until they're ready to decide what to do next, but this bird is freaking them out and they have enough to deal with right now.

This morning the bird was so manic that we're now tempted to try and shoot it, but wondering what implications that would have if the bird is carrying a soul.

I would really appreciate if anyone who could shed any light on this could reply or pm me asap, thanks.

twanda

Hi Daisychain,

I am no expert so I cannot advise on brids carrying souls etc. I personally would try letting the bird in -- Just to see what happens. Maybe it's hungry or just deranged.

Oryx

Maybe its seeing its reflection and 'fighting' over territory. Cover that pane* with newsprint temporarily. The bird will probably leave.

I would see your worries over the loss of your partners dad as a separate issue. Associating other signs to his loss can add to your confusion and grief. If he was a loving man to you in life, he would not torment you this way in spirit.

* edit: On reading again I realise its half the back of your house. :-). It will be hard, but I do recommend covering the glass or somehow making it less reflective for a while.

jonbravo

what kind of a bird is it!? lots of storys about robins that i think everyone has heard in there lifes, god knows ive heard one only last week, about a robin, flyin in to a house and out again.
i wont kill the bird just because of a window.and what harm would it do if you left the window open!?

Kess73

It is breeding season for most birds now, and many of the garden birds in Ireland will attack windows on houses and cars, and car mirrors and anything else that can carry a reflection.

The bird is simply seeing a rival in their area and are seeing off the rival by attacking. It can be peaking or full on frantic attacks by the birds, and they can often injure themselves as by taking on their own reflection they are attacking a foe that will not retreat.


Do not shoot the poor bird for only doing what is natural for it at this time of year.


Most pet shops will sell small anti strike stickers that can be put on the window to stop the bird from attacking it.


It is not a spirit in the bird, it is just nature. Some birds are more prone to this than others, what species of bird is it btw?




Here is one of my little visitors at the window, and looking at me.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/RedMike/windowsill2.jpg








Here is a copy and paste from the British Garden Birds website about windows and birds.


http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/


Windows
Attacking Windows
There are many species of bird known for attacking their own reflections in mirrors and windows because they believe they are seeing a rival bird on their territory, which they will then defend. Some birds have even been known to injure themselves in the ensuing fights!

Sometimes the birds are seen to be simply tapping the window rather than attacking it. In these cases, many believe the bird is just curious and confused by the invisible glass.

One of our most aggressive birds, the Robin, rarely attacks reflections. The reason for this is that they defend their territories by finding a dominant position, such as a higher perch, and of course the reflection eventually disappears!

There is no easy way of preventing these attacks other than by covering the window or mirror on the outside with something that is non-reflecting, such as netting or newspaper.

Flying into Windows
Many birds are injured through collisions with windows. This is because they see a reflection of what is in front of the window, such as sky or landscape, and believe they can fly straight on, or because there is another window or a mirror on the opposite side of the room that allows them to see straight through.

Frequently, the bird simply bounces off and although a little stunned will fly off somewhere to recover. Some knock themselves out, but sadly some die later from internal injuries or are killed instantly. In most cases, the only evidence we have that a bird has flown into a window is hearing the "bang" as it happened or seeing an impression of the bird on the glass, that is produced from its feather dust. If you do find a bird that has knocked itself out, place it somewhere safe from cats, etc., and if it appears to be injured then you may need to care for the bird.

A common solution, albeit one that has mixed results, to prevent the birds from flying into the window is to affix a silhouette of a bird of prey to the inside of the glass, the intention being to frighten the bird away before it flies into the window. You can either make these silhouettes yourself or buy them from some shops, such as RSPB Gift Shops, bird food suppliers and some garden centres.

An alternative deterrent is to hang a sun catcher, dream catcher - or something else that glistens in the sunlight - in your window; these seem to be quite successful and are less displeasing to the eye than silhouettes.

Some people have successfully deterred birds from flying into their windows by hanging several lengths of string outside from the top of the window.

Kess73

jonbravo wrote: »

what kind of a bird is it!? lots of storys about robins that i think everyone has heard in there lifes, god knows ive heard one only last week, about a robin, flyin in to a house and out again.
i wont kill the bird just because of a window.and what hard would do if you left the window open!?

Robins, great tits, blackbirds and blue tits will all venture into a house in search of food. I have two robins in my garden that hand feed and many others birds, mainly tits, that think nothing of coming up to the window to look inside, and have chanced their arm(wing lol) on the chance of getting a treat.

jonbravo

Kess73 wrote: »

Robins, great tits, blackbirds and blue tits will all venture into a house in search of food. I have two robins in my garden that hand feed and many others birds, mainly tits, that think nothing of coming up to the window to look inside, and have chanced their arm(wing lol) on the chance of getting a treat.

i know alot about the great out doors and i also know that birds for the last few years dont need help finding food as our winters are not that cold or we dont have as much of a heavy frost like in past years.
even berrys on holly at x-mas were not in need, because food is plenty full .
the storys from the past[about robins carryin souls] cant nor should they be lost in the science or understanding we have about them
there will always be mysteries, until we learn of the question,and understand how to find the answer.

Kess73

jonbravo wrote: »

i know alot about the great out doors and i also know that birds for the last few years dont need help finding food as our winters are not that cold or we dont have as much of a heavy frost like in past years.
even berrys on holly at x-mas were not in need, because food is plenty full .
the storys from the past[about robins carryin souls] cant nor should they be lost in the science or understanding we have about them
there will always be mysteries, until we learn of the question,and understand how to find the answer.

No offence meant but that is rubbish about birds not having problems finding fod over the last few years. In that time a number of once common garden birds have seen their populations hit by alarming declines. The House Sparrow for example has seen population drops of close to 70% of what their numbers were five years ago. This is down to breeding areas being destroyed and because of climate changes and late frosts, many food sources are not available at breeding time.

many birds survive the year but do not get to breed because of these changes, which means a big drop year on year in bird numbers.

At no point am I saying that folk tales about robins carrying souls should be forgotten, I quite like those myths, and myself I prefer the Norse tales of the robin, and I personally am quite guilty of placing human traits onto some of the birds that come to my garden.

But what I was posting here was some advice for the OP, so that she can find a solution for what is a very common event with birds, especially between March and August, , and to help prevent the needless killing of a bird.


I am defo not one that will write off the paranormal as rubbish, but at the same time, there are things that have no obvious paranormal slant and do not need to be blown into such, as it can cause fear and/or distress for some people.

I am also involved with Birdwatch Ireland and am involved in the mapping of areas in terms of species, so get a first hand experience of many of the quirks different bird species have. Birds are not an unitelligent creature, and each species has varying levels of intelligence and social interactions.

jonbravo

Kess73 wrote: »

No offence meant but that is rubbish about birds not having problems finding fod over the last few years. In that time a number of once common garden birds have seen their populations hit by alarming declines. The House Sparrow for example has seen population drops of close to 70% of what their numbers were five years ago. This is down to breeding areas being destroyed and because of climate changes and late frosts, many food sources are not available at breeding time.

many birds survive the year but do not get to breed because of these changes, which means a big drop year on year in bird numbers.

At no point am I saying that folk tales about robins carrying souls should be forgotten, I quite like those myths, and myself I prefer the Norse tales of the robin, and I personally am quite guilty of placing human traits onto some of the birds that come to my garden.

But what I was posting here was some advice for the OP, so that she can find a solution for what is a very common event with birds, especially between March and August, , and to help prevent the needless killing of a bird.


I am defo not one that will write off the paranormal as rubbish, but at the same time, there are things that have no obvious paranormal slant and do not need to be blown into such, as it can cause fear and/or distress for some people.

I am also involved with Birdwatch Ireland and am involved in the mapping of areas in terms of species, so get a first hand experience of many of the quirks different bird species have. Birds are not an unitelligent creature, and each species has varying levels of intelligence and social interactions.

no offence taken.maybe my opinion needs a discussion else where!?
but i still feel free to disagree.
we still dont know what kind of bird it was!?

Kess73

jonbravo wrote: »

no offence taken.maybe my opinion needs a discussion else where!?
but i still feel free to disagree.
we still dont know what kind of bird it was!?

I am leaning towards it being a great tit tbh, the manic pecking and going from window to window on one side of the house suggest it is a tit.


I have no problem with you saying you disagree, but statistics and studies done here and in the UK back up the fall in certain bird populations over the last few years.

The spirits/souls in birds got me a bit more curious and I was asking around about it, and it seems that in Native American culture in particular the premise of a spirit entering a bird is quite common, and of course birds are very symbolic in alchemy too.

I'm still sticking with my favourite of the robin being a storm-cloud bird in Norse mythology though.

bigeasyeah

What type of bird is it?
We have adapted our garden to be a bird sanctuary over the last few years so I may be of help as to certain species behaviour.