Ducks knocking on my door

Grolschevik

There are a pair of ducks living in the field behind my apartment complex, and they regularly venture into the complex. Often, they are fed bread by residents, myself sometimes included.

Yesterday morning, they got up on our deck and pecked the window to get our attention, whereupon they were given bread.

Is this unusual? Is it a sign of intelligent adaptive behaviour, or the beginnings of a worrying dependence? Or neither?

Doctor DooM

Grolschevik wrote: »

There are a pair of ducks living in the field behind my apartment complex, and they regularly venture into the complex. Often, they are fed bread by residents, myself sometimes included.

Yesterday morning, they got up on our deck and pecked the window to get our attention, whereupon they were given bread.

Is this unusual? Is it a sign of intelligent adaptive behaviour, or the beginnings of a worrying dependence? Or neither?

I'm not going to say anything about the nature of it being good or bad, but I have often seen the swans in Citywest stroll over to the window of a canteen and stick their heads in on the off chance of getting some food, so I'd say it's not that unusual.

Half-cocked

Years ago when I was about 6 or 7 we had a Herring Gull that would wait on the garden fence for food scraps to be put out on the bird table. If we were late putting food out, it would fly down to the back door step and peck on the glass door until we went out to feed it.

Kess73

Not that unusual. If a bird indentifies a food source and is successful in obtaining food by doing a certain thing, then they will do so.

I have a great tit that knocks on the window when he sees me sitting in the room, and we have watched him from a different window and he does not knock when he sees the room is empty.

Have a few other garden birds that have figured out other ways to get my attention when they spot me.

If you were gone in the morning, the ducks would soon figure out that the knocking strategy was not delivering food anymore and they would soon find another food source.

Grolschevik

I was intrigued as to how they came up with the idea. They've only been around a couple of weeks and aren't in any way regularly fed at that spot. And they have never ventured onto the deck before, let alone knocked. Though I suppose they could have learned at someone else's deck...

whyulittle

Can just imagine the conversation at your place.....

"Who was that at the door?"

"Oh it was just the Ducks, they ran out of bread again".

doctor evil

Please don't feed them bread, there is healthier more natural food for them.

I wouldn't be encouraging them to go inside.

byhookorbycrook

We have a chaffinch hurtling himself against out bedroom window from first light. Getting close to there will be one less finch in the world if he persists.

Cedrus

I lived on a boat for a few years and swans would come up and rap their beaks on the hull for attention and food. I don't know where they got it from because I didn't normally feed the swans as I had seen them getting aggressive with others. Sometimes ducks would wake me munching weed off the hull below the waterline and occassionally they got treats, but did the swans see that and think hey I want some of that?

patwicklow

I think they see the reflection in the window pane.But i did know a women who had a country pub and across the road was a river she would feed them in the morning and evening as they just knew the times, and they all would be lined up waiting for her, and if she was,nt there at that time they all walk up to the pub door demanding there food.

Mickeroo

.....suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gentley rapping, rapping at my chamber door....oh its only the ducks.

cocoshovel

I used to have ducks tapping on my door every morning when we fed them every now and then. Once while bringing in the shopping to the house I left the front door open as I brought in the bags, after a few minutes the ducks (and their ducklings!) were in my kitchen quacking curiously around. They got far too comfortable with us
I know better now and tbh dont really feed them at all anymore.

fryup

hey OP, sing this to them

Cardinal Richelieu

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

We have a chaffinch hurtling himself against out bedroom window from first light. Getting close to there will be one less finch in the world if he persists.

Yeah as said by PatWicklow its the reflection they see, I think they recommend you stick a cut out of a predator in your window like a hawk or something to scary them away. Sure the experts here could clarify that.

cup of tea

Grolschevik wrote: »

Often, they are fed bread by residents, myself sometimes included.

Your neighbours are very good to feed you and the ducks bread.

Grolschevik

doctor evil wrote: »

Please don't feed them bread, there is healthier more natural food for them.

I wouldn't be encouraging them to go inside.

They are regular knockers now, on several nearby doors also. What should we give them instead of bread?