Bird behaviour yesterday evening

ThisRegard

Yesterday evening around 7ish the birds around my area just seemed to go a bit mad for a while, there were a number of species ranging from gulls, sparrows and swifts flying and roosting together and being fairly boisterous. The sheer number and noise made it look like something from The Birds.

My initial thoughts are that it was a feeding frenzy after the bit of rain the night before caused some type of insect to hatch or become active as a few of the smaller birds were obviously swooping after something, but presence of gulls had me wondering.

Any suggestions ?

Bsal

Maybe a Sparrowhawk was on the prowl.

recalled

Can you describe the behaviour in more detail? First reactions are a bird of prey but it could be something else depending on how they were reacting.

Kicking Bird

Is it possible the other smaller birds were mobbing the gulls?

who_me

I read previously that birds are more sensitive to electrical energy (don't know if that's true) so with the recent thunderstorms you'd wonder if that affects their behaviour.

There's a famous story going back to the 17th century here in Cork of swarms of swallows attacking each other (IIRC, also was around the time of a storm) which left hundreds of them dead.

ThisRegard

Almost forgetting I posted this.

I don't think the smaller birds were mobbing the gulls, they all seemed to be happy enough to be mixing it up together.

And I don't think it was a bird of prey or anything the scared them either as they would land in nearby trees and houses and seem quite comfortable before flying off again, some would swoop quite low into the gardens which is why I'm pretty sure there was some insect swarm going on as we could see a few flying around that the birds swooped into, doesn't really explain the gulls though as I thought they'd have no interest.

Maybe it was a bit of a both, bird of prey in the nearby farmland, insects in a abundance in peoples gardens.

Ulmus

Could be gulls and other birds were feeding on swarming black ants.

TedR

Hi there

This behaviour is not uncommon ; when climactic conditions/humidity etc is just right, there will follow a large flight of winged ants. The female ants spend the winter underground or in crevices in walls or roofs. They lay their eggs, and all the developing young fly at the same time when conditions are right, its usually a clammy thundery day like we have had recently
The birds, gulls included, will follow the swarm to feed on it.
If you watch through binoculars you will see the birds actually stalling and making sudden adjustments in flight to catch the individual flies. All the species you mentioned will mix together while taking advantage of the free and abundant flying protein snacks.
If you are underneath the action, you will also see scores of the little black winged ants on the ground.
In some years the swarms can be huge, although the phenomenon is short lived.

Birds mobbing a raptor or panicking after a sparrowhawk attack looks completely different

trekie123

Hi guys
I really need help with a black headed gull... it has no buoyancy .. It is clean with no oil on it....perfectly healthy otherwise .... please someone point me in the right direction.

Capercaille

trekie123 wrote: »

Hi guys
I really need help with a black headed gull... it has no buoyancy .. It is clean with no oil on it....perfectly healthy otherwise .... please someone point me in the right direction.

Give these lads a ring, they are based in kildare. I have brought wild birds to them before and they did a good job.
http://animalfoundation.ie/wildlife/

trekie123

Capercaille wrote: »

Give these lads a ring, they are based in kildare. I have brought wild birds to them before and they did a good job.
http://animalfoundation.ie/wildlife/

Thanks i appreciate that.