Why do birds fly away?

[willbick]

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question. Is it simply because we used to shoot them a lot and the ones that survived were the naturally warier ones? Birds like woodpigeon are particularly twitchy. Is it a case of the more we shoot/shot them the warier of humans they are now?

[Kayleigh]

The woodpigeons in my garden you can walk right up to them before they take flight the ones in your garden may be more nervous due to predators like cats or sparrowhawks..

[aeshna5]

Where they are regularly shot they tend to be much warier- a pretty good trait for survival + not approachable. In contrast where they are not persecuted + even encouraged they will lose their fear + become tame + in some of the central London parks will feed from the hand.

[Littlesparrow]

Our Wood pigeons will stay feeding if you are in the garden, and if you sit in a deck chair in the Summer will come up quite close to you. This year they nested in the Cherry tree in our front garden, so we were walking past them everyday.
Their main predator around here would be cats.

[tcvarlh]

Applies to most critters and logical really. Deer are a good example. We have hunted Deer for Millennia, they seem to have developed an acute dislike of us on foot but accept us on horseback. We are just as deadly 'Hoch zu Ross' but our time as horsemen/women is much shorter than bipedal spearchuckers. Deer haven't adapted to the change yet.

and thinking about it, would you hang around in an area where your relatives are getting shot and eaten?
h

[actionfinch]

Interesting topic, the woodies in my garden fly as soon as they hear the key in the back door, or even if they see me through the kitchen window....
they would happily sit in the trees if im standing by the backdoor.
Cats have had 1 or 2 , not killed but tried to get them. But on the other hand in the general area of my house they always fly away before i get remotely close or even see them.The times they have made me jump... i've lost count.lol

[htcdude]

I'm a Bible believing Christian. And Genesis 9:2 states the following:

"The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands."

God has subjected animals to the dominion of man.


So although man may have scared some animals with various methods, I believe the above explains the underlying reason.

Nige

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by htcdude

God has subjected animals to the dominion of man.

Which has long been used as an excuse for cruelty - the animals being mans 'playthings'!

I've seen it in action - someones child squashing ladybirds and the mother saying that she didn't like to watch it, but that's what they were put there for.

Jim

P.S. I think I've heard the first cuckoo.
;^)

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Which has long been used as an excuse for cruelty - the animals being mans 'playthings'!

I know and this is sad. Although we were given dominion over animals, I in no way believe it's right just to kill for fun or hunt animals to extinction etc

[Amarillo]

I've often wondered this.

Obviously some birds are shot at so understandably are wary, but take for example some of our Scandinavian winter visitors. Why are redwings and fieldfares so nervous, but waxwings not? I doubt redwings and fieldfares are shot at very often.