group activities
Posted by Gretchen Kaufman on April 16, 2006
Q: I unexpectedly saw four sparrows frozen in time. Three were huddled on the ground, a fourth was standing errect on a picnic table. There were crowds of people mingling around the yard and the sparrows did not move for at least a minute. Not even a tail twitch. What were they doing. My girlfriend saw them too and was totaly baffled. Thanks Gretchen
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Colorado
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: What a great observation you made! From your description it sounds like a Bird of Prey, a hawk maybe, made an attack close by. This phenomenon is often observed at bird feeders where many birds tend to congregate. When an opportunistic raptor makes an attempt to kill one of them, the birds either scatter or freeze like statues. By not moving they may not attract attention to themselves. Thanks for the question.
Jim Berry ( April 17, 2006)