Bird CPR

Can someone explain this bird behavior? Could it be that the birds had a fight and one is just playing dead? In the comments someone was saying that one bird hit the window and became unconscious, while the other is trying to revive it. But I’m a bit skeptical of such altruistic explanation as I still remember a similar (mistaken) interpretation of dog’s instinctual behavior as burying the dead puppy and the dog burying the fish (which was supposedly out of sadness).

youtube.com/watch?v=eNJfAmzLI_U

Wouldn’t call that CPR per say, but it’s akin to it. Likely were mates.

Birds do rear their young, any creature capable of that is capable of altruism, doesn’t even have to be selfish logically in motive. Fear is fear, distress is distress, anger is anger, shock and surprise is shock and surprise. Birds have highly developed brains, more efficient than mammal brains in many ways. We shouldn’t be too shocked catching them behaving humanely at times, or with high intelligence. No reason to look down on them just because they aren’t human, and insist it is something by default other.

I’m not picking up on any evidence of sexual dimorphism. My guess they are of the same sex and age, which would mean adversarial confrontation. They look like some type of finches, or sparrows. Notice it keeps pecking at the other bird’s head. This is probably a fight to the death.

I’m guessing the people were filming a finch fight, which is a gambling blood sport (similar to rooster fighting).
archive.boston.com/news/local/ma … ng/?page=2

Also similar to quail fighting:

youtube.com/watch?v=GHTTTG2_aAo

Man, I didn’t realize just how brutal house sparrows can be: they will fight each other to the death, harass other birds (other species) until their chicks die from starvation and free up nest space, they will go into the nest and kill the chicks of other specie birds themselves, or throw away their eggs, if unhatched, and straight up attack and kill adults of other bird species, and in the most horrific ways. Also, the female sparrows will kill the chicks of other female sparrows that are offspring of their mated male. Pretty savage for such small birds!

This is pretty graphic, so bewarned, but from what I’ve seen and read so far, this guy may not stop until the other bird’s head is either bloodied or almost beheaded, with eyes or brain pecked out (don’t worry, it didn’t get that far in the video). But note that most of the hits are head hits. This is not CPR for sure, if anything, that bird should wish it was already dead.
youtube.com/watch?v=-jlc9b8tITo

Here are some testimonies of their killing behavior (and images) from bird watchers (most of whom provide nesting for bluebirds and swallows, but they will also attack martins, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and hummingbirds) sialis.org/hospattacks.htm

sialis.org/hosp.htm#halo

Ah, it’s just a little cute sparrow…who’s ready to pick your eyes and brain out (especially if you’re a bluebird or a tree swallow). 8-[

Great tits will eat brains too:

blogs.scientificamerican.com/te … predators/

bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0338d46

I see lots of similarly sized birds mating, never seen a difference in sparrows, fairly common site seeing males fight over females.

Think it is a solid case of alturism, but yeah, birds are pretty fucking ruthless too. Hard to have the one without the other present cognitively, at least the capacity. To love and nurture is to protect, and the capacity to protect comes through aggression. If your capable of aggression, you’ll be in a position for volitional use of it.

Look at the opposition of the north south pole of thus image by Carl Jung, they simultaneously support one another despite being polar opposites. You can’t have one without the other in supporting opposition.

The bird was definitely trying to kill the other. Mother birds will kill a fledgling if its noise endangers the nest. What most bird fights amount to are due to breeding or protecting the flock. A weak, sick or injured member will be killed or left behind. One that is injured and making noise will be killed. That said some birds, fowl mostly will stand by their mate that is injured til its body demands food , They will abandon infants for mate. They do not mate only once. Make or female if it loses its mate will find another.
Interesting though, the lovebirds I take care of think 4 cats and a chicken hen are part of their flock, the cats think of the birds as part of their pack. The gen thinks of them all as part of her flock. :slight_smile: The first time you see a couple of birds sitting between two cats and another bird on one cat, you slightly panic then realize that nature is awesome.

If it was trying to kill, then why did it fair so horribly in this?

I’ve seen birds kill one another, including cannibalism of the same species. This looks nothing like it, results look nothing the same, and further… the bird in its stunned state looks effectively dead. I dont think birds double-tap, unless the intention is to eat you.

Thry are flock animals, highly social. Social interaction can be and usually is alturistic.

Birds have higher intelligence than many on ILP.

At least, with solving puzzles.

Apparently, not dead enough. :-k

That’s my point. Not dead.

That was two tiny birds, ability to peck bit and stab with claws and beak is severely limited due to size and strength. The amount of time before the other bird came to was extremely short. It quite likely saved the other bird but, the intent is dubious.