[tagwex]

Yesterday morning I went out the back door and found these two little mites. I am no expert but I think they are male Greenfinch. We are perplexed as to what could have happened them. First thought was poisoned but I have nothing out there that I can think of that would have done this. The one on the left was bloodied around the head and I found them on the ground only feet apart with no other visible injuries. Second thought was a territorial battle to the death or maybe fighting over a female of the species. Any ideas?

[sgmgarden]

Oh my, what a shame for these poor little guys. I do hope someone can help you gain a better understanding of what happened.

[Sive]

Could they have flown into a window ?

[tagwex]

No window on that elevation Sive.

[Sive]

I have just got my copy of the latest Birdwatch Ireland Magazine with some wonderful photos of greenfinches....including two males fighting !
So that may be the answer to your question. And to be fair, two birds flying into a window at the same time would be unusual....I wasn't too convinced myself.

[sgmgarden]

As mentioned above by Sive, it is highly unlikely that two birds would fly into the same window at the same time. I reckon it comes down to the fight.

[tagwex]

Yep, leaning that way myself. Buried them yesterday. No mass though.

[baabamaal]

Do you have a cat? They are juveniles judging by the downy feathers on their lower backs and would be vulnerable to cat predation- and cats can occasionally decide to leave "presents" on the doorstep. It is unlikely that they were fighting to the point that they would be injured badly. The only other real possibility is birdstrike (at an upstairs window?). If so, I think the hawk silhouettes available from Birdwatch Ireland should help in preventing a reoccurence.[/url]

[tagwex]

Hi there baabamaal,

No cat here just a stoopid mutt. I didn't think that they were juveniles, the feathers were just blowing in the wind and unpreened me thinks. No cats around here. Very unlikely that two birds hit a window at much the same time. Have a few buzzards around here though, I see them regularly.

[Ray and Fiona]

I think it was the dog. He looks very dangerous!!!

[tagwex]

Ha, that mutt would lick you death, doesn't know what his teeth are for.

[baabamaal]

Sure he even looks guilty!
Another possibility is the trichomoniasis parasite that is affecting birds (particularly greenfinches)- but two things go against it as a possibility- the fact that the two birds died together at your door, and affected birds look sick when they die- puffed up, with the feathers around the head wet and matted- those birds look "healthy" (apart from not actually being alive if you know what I mean).
There is a possibility of them both flying at your window if a kestrel or sparrowhawk flew into the garden and panicked them- I've had double birdstrikes at my sunroom window due to this in the past.

[tagwex]

That dog reacts very plainly to guilt. Either he A) hides, B) he goes into submission pose i.e. lies on his back, paws up and turns the head to the left and looks at you dolefully and C) pulls in the tail, drops the body to the ground so his legs are as short as a Dachshund and stays close to wall and scuttles along whimpering hoping he doesn't get a kick up the derriére. Which one he chooses depends on how guilty he feels.
Interesting about the disease, as mentioned previously we do have buzzards and they did look perfectly healthy. So now it's either disease or fighting over a young one!

[baabamaal]

those three options remind me of this........