'Why is the sparrow doing this?'

[TimelessSpace]

It is such a strange thing. I don't know why he does it, but I have a thought: probably it doesn't want the light there,because it is seen as an intruder in some way. I don't know if he uses the nest there, but is it possible for you to put the little house more to the middle of the barn, so that there is not so much light, or even radiation from the light in the house. They feel + sense much more than we normally do, so the energy of the light can make it restless. Just an idea.

Roeleke

[BirdDre]

I think the house sparrow is just really drawn to the flash of the light, so he may want to play with it. But is this filmed in fall? Maybe he's cold. . . but I mostly think he is drawn to the flashy light. Ask some places such as Cornell, I have their channel. Or go to Ojibway or Leamington and ask them what they think. Just send them a letter. But I just think he enjoys the light, because I see birds always picking up silver, such as blue jays. Blue jays love shiny things as well.

[ZeldaMeyer1]

Once he gets the flood light on, what does he do?

[NancyToday]

If you rename it, 'Why is the sparrow doing this?' You might get some ornithogist. In the tags put 'birdwatching, ethology, ornithology, animal behavior, bird behavior, bird behaviour, bird psychology, etc, you might get someone who can answer your question. Also categorize it under pets and animals. What did the nature center people say? Let Cornell University know about it. They are really into birds. Have you asked Audubon?

[nancyleeould]

@NancyToday Thank you so much for all your help!!

I'll give it a try!

[ingridgott]

amazing he turn the lights on animals aremore clevertham what we think

[Zoltrix67]

With the sound of tapping, I would suspect, being near to a nest box, he is seeing his refletion in the lamp and trying to scare his mirror image away from his territory and nest. The light coming on, is probably a fluke, as they turn on when you are withihn a ceertain range of the signal ?

[nancyleeould]

@Zoltrix67 Yes it turns on but not until it's cloudy enough too Phil. I can understand with that being his house that it could be a territorial thing....but when the light is on he tries to fly into it. It most certainly strange behavior.

[karyzzmatic]

@Zoltrix67 I agree...its his reflection that he's trying to scare away. Whether the light is on or off, his pattern is identical.

If you could somehow dull the silver part of the bulb, perhaps by putting duct tape or something else on it, I'd bet that his behaviour stops and he could carry on with normal life. ;)

[Zoltrix67]

Great video Nancy. This is very unusual behaviour of the Sparrow. They tend to eat Insects and larvae, seeds, berries, fruit, grain and refuse. They were imported to the USA to deal with insects, but now they are accused of killing the bluebirds and are targetted as pests. Insects are attracted to light, maybe he has found that out. But to be honest, I really dont know why he does it. Huga across the pond - Phil

[nancyleeould]

@Zoltrix67 Pests? No here....I have 4 or 5 birdhouses on that side of the garage all occupied by sparrows. I think they are so cute and very intelligent. I put seed out for them in the fall and winter...usually with some suet mixed in.

Thanks ever so much for having a look and giving your opinion. :-)

Hugs back to ya.

[Goddessfluffyblanket]

Insects are attracted to light. He is probably eating the insects attracted to the light.

[nancyleeould]

@Goddessfluffyblanket That could be Amanda but I don't understand how he learned to turn the light on.

Hugs.

[whistonlass]

He's certainly working hard at it, Nancy. It was cute when he tried to get his mate to help him out...lol

[nancyleeould]

@whistonlass I think his mate is wondering if he has lost a few marbles. LOL

No one would help him.

Thanks for watching Jacquie!

Hugs

[BlueFlamingoVlogs]

Smart little guy there.

[nancyleeould]

@BlueFlamingoVlogs He sure is! :-)

[CinnamonSpice100]

Birds are very smart....I do not know why some slow people are called "Bird Brains". birds are very intelligent.....Birds love the heat.....his way of heating up his little body.....they love tropical heat....no matter how hot it is they never seem to get enough.

[nancyleeould]

@CinnamonSpice100 I think he was getting warm too.

Hugs

[silverscreamgrl]

I bet he is cold and wants the warmth?

[nancyleeould]

@silverscreamgrl That seems to be the consensus Beth. But to do this in 70 and 80 degree temps...how warm does he want it? LOL

Thanks for watching~Hugs

[silverscreamgrl]

@nancyleeould Ahh that is right, I forgot you work in Celcius when you said 40 degrees.

Maybe it is a bird in dire need of psychiatric help? HAHAHA

[TamHickey67]

It looks like that wee birdie has the equivalent of OCD and has never heard of the phrase; "Don't go towards the light" lol. Great footage Nancy.

[nancyleeould]

@TamHickey67 LOL.....thanks Tam!! He is one strange little bird for sure!

Hugs

[patchcords]

He's tapping out a message in Morse Code !

[nancyleeould]

@patchcords You know code...what is he saying Chris??

[weezie63]

That is awesome Nancy

[nancyleeould]

@weezie63 Hi Wayne! Thanks for watching! :-)

[VirtuallyAddicted]

Maybe he's just practicing his Morse Code and turning on the light is just a coincidence. :P

[nancyleeould]

@VirtuallyAddicted I'm going to check that out with my son who knows code. Wouldn't it be amazing if there was a secret message he was sending to us?!! :-)

[Lethesunshine]

I agree...I think he's cold and wants to warm up. I don't think he's strange, I think he's smart!

(((Hugs)))

~Mimi

[nancyleeould]

@Lethesunshine Me too Mimi!! While the other birds may scoff at him..... while they're he's laughing and staying warm! LOL

Hugs

[bigeeezy]

Amazing :)))

[nancyleeould]

@bigeeezy I know...but why?? Wish I could come up with an answer.

Hugs

[phekwig]

I can't think of any reason for such behavior except to stay warm... It's probably more work to go find enough food to provide the necessary body heat than to supplement body heat with the light.

[nancyleeould]

@phekwig That is the most likely reason Andy...but it sure is strange behavior.

Hugs

[Meissie35]

Smart indeed ! Beautiful ! Hahaha...

[nancyleeould]

@Meissie35 Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

Hugs

[timido66]

That is so incredible. I love bird behavior.

[nancyleeould]

@timido66 They can be very entertaining Van...but this one has me stumped.

Hugs coming your way. :-)

[GreatGig1]

Very smart bird! I would think it must have something to do with warmth...but smart bird to figure that out! Maybe the light or the extra heat has something to do with helping that bird get rid of some mite/parasite type of critters he gets?? Just guessing...:-) xoxoxo

[nancyleeould]

@GreatGig1 Hi Caylyn...at this point it's anyone's guess. I may send the video to a guy at our nature center and see what he thinks.

Thanks for watching and commenting.

Hugs

[Perroquet51]

Very clever little bird. I suspect he's the one who keeps setting off my car alarm.

[nancyleeould]

@Perroquet51 Oh no!! Sorry about that Marc!! LOL

Thanks and so good to see you!! :-)

[watcherfilmsinc]

Haha, I wonder if he realizes just how interesting he is! Too funny! When his little friend joins him for a second there, the friend looks puzzled. He really must be the Einstein of the flock - brilliantly misunderstood! ;)

[nancyleeould]

@watcherfilmsinc I have seen the entire flock line up on the garage and peer over at him...they really don't have anything to do with him. I think he has been ostracized.

If it's for heat..and he also did this in the summer...whatever will he do when winter comes?

Thanks so much for commenting..

[patchcords]

Maybe the bird thinks its an egg !

[nancyleeould]

@patchcords But he isn't sitting on it Chris...he is just trying to turn it on! LOL

Love ya.

[theloathlydaddy]

That is so cool! I think you may be right that he's doing it to stay warm, that makes sense at least. Otherwise, it's really unusual behavior and definitely interesting to watch! Amazing!

[nancyleeould]

@theloathlydaddy Steve, I have seen him doing this on very warm days...and yes, he has a very strange behavior ...but then...what do you expect with a wizard and a clown living in the house? LOL :-D

[MelodyElize]

Mirror reflecting himself......he sees another bird?

[nancyleeould]

@MelodyElize Yes could be Melody but why is he wanting the light on and trying to fly as close to it as possible?

It's a puzzlement but he sure is smart.

Hugs

[johnnyould]

Well... he really is a very clever bird... I wonder if he would be clever enough to chirp in and help out with the extra power used during the daytime. Hmm, on second thought, maybe it is time for some fine tuning considerations!

As if we don't do enough for them by providing high end housing.

Will be interesting to see them using the new self serve flyby feeder that Nancy is setting up for the coming cold season!

All in all... Great Entertainment and unusual video!

[nancyleeould]

@johnnyould Thanks John...but at least you have been a constant viewer of this little bird. I have a feeling it's the same bird that lived in the decorative pagoda on the back porch on and off for years...no nest...strange.

Yup, have to get my fly-by feeder up soon. :-)

[battlebauble]

He's a clever little fellow! One thought I had is the light could be attracting bugs for him to eat. Huh? Kind of mysterious!

[nancyleeould]

@battlebauble Hello Darl...others have said that too but there doesn't seem to be any bugs out there....especially in the daytime. It most certainly is an oddity.

Thanks for watching.

[mostlythemusic]

how odd! hahah.. great video Nancy lol.. have a lovely week :O) ~ Ryan x

[nancyleeould]

@mostlythemusic Hi Ryan! Good to see you!

Yes is it very odd behavior.

Hugs and you have a great week too.

[nancyleeould]

@CarolinAllik5 He most certainly is a smart little bird.

Thanks for watching and commenting.

Hugs

[genmama1955]

Does he turn the light off when he leaves? He seems pretty smart! Maybe he is trying to get to heaven. Or to the spa. lol

[nancyleeould]

@genmama1955 LOL....Maybe he's using it like a tanning light. Or he is deficient in Vitamin D. :)

[nancyleeould]

@genmama1955 It does go out after a certain length of time by itself but once he gets the light on...he will keep flying into it to stop it from going off.

Thank you and hugs.

[poemsforcreation]

Maybe he is seeing his reflection in the light and thinks it is another bird and he is defending his territory. Just a thought....

[nancyleeould]

@poemsforcreation Yes, others have said that as well. But why does he want the light on? I'll probably never get it figured out.

Thanks for your comment.

Hugs

[nancyleeould]

@billyCtv Thanks for watching Billy...I sure would like to know because he tires me out just watching him. LOL

Hugs and love ya!

[bodpoe]

I recognise the morris code...I think the bird has an ego and likes some attention. Pretty cool!

[nancyleeould]

@bodpoe You know...that could well be. I'll have Chris decipher the dots and dashes as he knows code. LOL.

Thanks for watching. :)

[spellermouse]

Most unusual behaviour!! I think the bird is trying to keep warm..the heat from the lamp is his goal.

[nancyleeould]

@spellermouse I thought so too speller....until I thought back to when this started and he does this in some pretty warm temps as well. I'm glad you finally had a chance to see what I was trying to tell you.

Hugs

[mysteryglo]

That is too funny! We used to have a Cardinal that would tap on one of our windows every day and my son had a bird that would tap on his window all day long too! I think it had something to do with seeing their reflection in the glass and them protecting their territory or something!

[nancyleeould]

@mysteryglo Could be he is looking at himself....his reflection like a mirror Judy! Interesting about the birds you had tapping on the windows.

Thanks for watching.

[TheDarksEmpyrean]

Imagine that. so cute. 

[nancyleeould]

@TheDarksEmpyrean Thanks for watching Al!

[urielwirthful]

i remember hearing this woodpecker drilling the house and it kept coming back. then gran went outise and shooed it away with her broom. it never came back LoL

[nancyleeould]

@urielwirthful LOL...the tapping doesn't really bother me....the reason he's doing it I am curious about. LOL at gran and her broom.

Hugs

[surfcottage]

Nancy, maybe he was afraid of the dark when he was a baby! :)))) Thats SO cute... I think its the heat tho :) xoxox

[nancyleeould]

@surfcottage A lot of people seem to think it's the heat....I agree. But how on earth did he learn to turn that thing on?! LOL

Hugs.

[IreneK43]

Why should I feel discouraged

Why should the shadows come

Why should my heart feel lonely

And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion

A constant friend is he

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches over me

[nancyleeould]

@IreneK43 Yes indeed Irene.

Thank you....love you. :-)

[GramsandPapi]

I think you are right...probobly for warmth. Smart little fella! Blessings, Ang

[nancyleeould]

@GramsandPapi I think he most certainly is one smart little bird!

Hugs

[bugsinrug]

He needs medication. lol. That's amazing. I know ! He used to be a movie star in his other life....and misses the spotlight ! Michael Jackson...is that you?!!! hugs & luv, Chris

[nancyleeould]

@bugsinrug Yes, I think they must have taken him off his meds too soon Chris.

Michael Jackson? Joey? Dad? LOL

Who knows.

Love you too.

[mrdeleted]

Lol cool video...

[nancyleeould]

@mrdeleted Thank you!

[twish1999]

Nancy i think maybe when the spotlight is on it could attract insects and moths etc and the Sparrow eats them?

It's fabulous footage, what a clever little creature!

x hugs x

[nancyleeould]

@twish1999 Hi Trish..I thought of that also but never see him eat or grab and insects after the light is on and since there are 4 bird houses along the side of the garage...why aren't the other birds doing this? They sit on top of the garage watching him like he's crazy. It really puzzles me.

Hugs. xx

[lazmalt]

usually flies but also other insects attack on headlights during the night and of course .... die and someone is attacked.

Now this sparrow search food or some vibration of this light give him annoyance

[nancyleeould]

@lazmalt Why does it not bother any other birds if there is a vibration though?

The other birds watch him like he is crazy. They have plenty to eat. I just don't understand him

Hugs

[bigeeezy]

amazing

[nancyleeould]

@bigeeezy Yes...I thought so!

[WhatsUpWithGORDIE]

My Guess is the bird is looking for warmth. We are having some really cold nights and mornings!

Cute Video!!

[nancyleeould]

@WhatsUpWithGORDIE Yes, I understand that Gordie...but he was doing this in much warmer weather as well. Maybe living next door to the light he realized it gives off heat when it's on.

Thanks for your comment.

[WhatsUpWithGORDIE]

@nancyleeould The light may have drove the bird cuckoo...lol

Off & on Off & On

Now that could be possible!

Keep us posted!

8-)

[pictureperfectplanet]

That's crazy! I think he think's he's a moth.

[nancyleeould]

@pictureperfectplanet LOL...well that's one idea. But even moths don't fly around a light that isn't on trying to turn it on. Yes, I know it's crazy.

[AnneMarie96]

Lights on - no one home?

[nancyleeould]

@AnneMarie96 LOL...sure looks that way AnneMarie!! :-)

[SactoGranny]

That's so funny! It may be to keep his body warm. Is that his/her birdhouse next to the light? Sometimes animals get caught up in irrational OCD behavior, for no apparent reason, just like humans. Perhaps that is what's happening. :-)

[nancyleeould]

@SactoGranny LOL@ the OCD sparrow...but when I think about it...that could be the reason. I mean to do this all day, every day, would be completely exhausting, one would think. I just find it to be strange behavior. I believe it to be a male sparrow and yes his house is right next to the light....but the light does not shine into the house. Thanks for your input! :-)

[christopherinsc1981]

I say he is trying to blow the bulb he does not want to see it shining in his windows when he is trying to sleep at night lol

[nancyleeould]

@christopherinsc1981 LOL...could be but he is more intent in turning it on.

Thanks Chris! :-)

[thizizliz]

Fascinating! Perhaps you are right - he's after the warmth? We use "birdbrain' as a pejorative but he seems pretty smart and with a heck of a work ethic too. Great video Nancy - thank you.

[nancyleeould]

@thizizliz Could be Liz but when I think back he was doing this in quite warm weather as well.

Thanks and hugs.

[thizizliz]

@nancyleeould I'd love to know what it is - but reading the comments here is just as fun! :) 

[nancyleeould]

@thizizliz I know Liz...but you should live here ...it's driving me around the bend because it's right outside out dining room window and I see him day after day out there...that's why I finally grabbed the cam. He is so intense on getting the light on he doesn't care if you stand very close and watch either.

[thizizliz]

@nancyleeould Ahhh, yeah, I never thought about it being annoying over time. I think the OCD explanation is probably the right one, if not, it's really funny. But just as so many things, perhaps more so in small doses, eh?

[nancyleeould]

@thizizliz I think me trying to figure him out is worse than what he's doing...LOL

But I also think he should have to help pay the electric bill. :-D

[thizizliz]

@nancyleeould You bet! but the danged Sparrows Union probably would fight it! :)

[nancyleeould]

@thizizliz LOL

[familymatters1234]

Maybe they (the other birds) gave him that job? Animals do the strangest things sometimes. Too funny.

[nancyleeould]

@familymatters1234 Maybe they did give him that job because none of the other birds will help him...seems that he was chosen for that job alone. LOL

Thanks and hugs.