Rivalry among certain bird species

bkrangle

I've been watching the birds in my garden a lot over the past few weeks as part of the garden bird survey.

One peculiar thing I noticed is the territorial behaviour of the robin which has taken to policing my garden!

In the past I've often noticed robins behaving in an aggressive or territorial manner but the current robin is rather particular. He seems to ignore the majority of birds in the garden. However, if a chaffinch (male or female) lands in the garden he immediately chases them away with vigour.

Has anyone ever noticed such species specific behaviour in robins?

On a side note, I've noticed black caps over the past week or so which I guess are some of the winter migrants

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Robins are one of our few birds to defend territory all year round and are notoriously aggressive; particularly towards other robins or species that will use a similar territory.

NickNickleby

Rather than a determined nature lover, I'm simply someone who puts out various wild bird foods (fat balls, nyjer seeds, peanuts, sunflower hearts etc) and watch what happens.

I've noticed that those pesky magpies come in and frighten everything else away, often just for the fun of it, it seems. They kind of dive-bomb without actually landing.

However, on my garden wall and feeders, I've often seen in close proximity:
starlings (although they can be as mischievous as the magpies - but generally just amongst themselves), sparrows, robin, linnets (I think), goldfinches, blue tits, collared doves, wood pigeons, and perhaps a couple of other rare visitors like the odd seagull and twice a sparrowhawk (or similar). Plus the neighbour's FOUR cats.

The robin and the dunnock seem to dislike each other. I didn't include the dunnock above, as he seems to be a solitary though regular visitor. Over the years I noticed that a particular pairing seemed to happen. Whenever a blackbird arrived, a robin was always right behind. This was over about 5 years, until last year when blackbirds became very scarce.

The linnets if they ARE linnets, constantly drive the goldfinches off the nyjer seed feeders most aggressively. until last year there would have been regularly up to about 20 goldfinches in the garden.

there's also another solitary visitor who might look in the bird house, but I don't think I've ever seen it actually enter - a wren. My bird house is one of those square ones with a pitched roof. It used to be open until I got fed up watching the magpies gobbling up everything. So I surrounded it with plastic chicken wire, with cutouts for the smaller birds.

We've had, in the past : green finches; a bullfinch; and a beautiful iridescent blue dragonfly - the nearest water is miles away.

oh, and a rat :eek: . Damp Sunday afternoon, and there he was, sitting in the bird house on his hunkers like a squirrel, eating peanuts.

ours is a typical handkerchief-sized garden in Artane.

corks finest

bkrangle wrote: »

I've been watching the birds in my garden a lot over the past few weeks as part of the garden bird survey.

One peculiar thing I noticed is the territorial behaviour of the robin which has taken to policing my garden!

In the past I've often noticed robins behaving in an aggressive or territorial manner but the current robin is rather particular. He seems to ignore the majority of birds in the garden. However, if a chaffinch (male or female) lands in the garden he immediately chases them away with vigour.

Has anyone ever noticed such species specific behaviour in robins?

On a side note, I've noticed black caps over the past week or so which I guess are some of the winter migrants

Goldfinches are serious boys also

ThunderCat

Last March during that heavy period of snow we had I observed for days on end a Robin using up all his time and energy driving pied wagtails out of the garden and away from the food I had left on the ground despite there being more than enough food to go around. He would barely allow them to land.

Edit - starting to doubt myself, may have been chaffinch the robin was driving away. can't remember for sure.

gzoladz

Current Vs former girlfriend... Never seen anything like it!

Sundew

Currently have about 20 goldfinches on my feeders. There has been serious scraps “midair” ......great entertainment whilst drinking my morning coffee!

Grawns

The only visitor so far to my lonely new build garden. Very jealous of you all. The only regular visitors are 2 willy wagtails who don't notice the feeder but are very territorial!

Pretzill

Grawns wrote: »

The only visitor so far to my lonely new build garden. Very jealous of you all. The only regular visitors are 2 willy wagtails who don't notice the feeder but are very territorial!

Love the wagtails - they were our only visitor for months when we moved to this house - now they are joined by all sorts, including grey wagtails!

The goldfinches know how to argue - I have a theory that they only argue with those outside their little family group - up-to 4 can eat away but there's fierce scrapping when others try to join at times. Our robins aren't as bossy as in past years but they do manage to have the fat balls mostly to themselves and the great-tits. The bravest of all the garden birds here our coal tits who would practically land on a feeder as your rehanging them

Keplar240B

The blackbirds hate the Song thrush and attack it chase it away , the Thrush never fights back just flys away.