Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!educ-isis!teexmmo
From: teexmmo@isis.educ.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Robins attack my windows!
Message-ID: <1990Apr6.103220.1080@isis.educ.lon.ac.uk>
Date: 6 Apr 90 10:32:20 GMT
Reply-To: teexmmo@isis.educ.lon.ac.uk (Matthew Moore)
Organization: Institute of Education University of London
Lines: 20

(Kehaar) writes:
(Mark Reed) writes:
>>
>> In the last few days, robins have decided to attack my windows.  This
>> is new behavior for them.  A couple of large windows have literally 
>> thousands of marks on them.  Why?  How can I stop them?  (seems like
>> it would be very painful for the birds!)
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>What you are witnessing is an odd example of Robin territoriality called
>"shadow boxing".  All Robins possess an instinct that whenever they see a red
>breast of a rival, they will unhesitatingly attack it.  Studies have shown that even a stick with a clump of robin's-breast feathers placed in a Robin's 

and so on, a good summary. Further reading, an excellent book:

Lack "The Life of the robin"  (I might not have got the title quite
right, but Lack is definitely the author).
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