A bird with a headache
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381815)
Rockingham, Australia
July 17, 2019 5:23am CST
We’re just about to have our dinner. We’ve been sitting in front of the fire, each on our computers. A few minutes ago, there was a loud bang on the window. We thought it was a bird and sure enough, when we went outside a New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris_novaehollandiae) had knocked itself out through the force of the impact. We sat it in a small container under a bush. It was coming around by the time we left it. We’ll check on it later but I feel sure it won’t be there.
New Holland honeyeaters are around eighteen centimetres (7 inches) long and mainly black, with white facial tufts and yellow margins on the wing and tail feathers. They are key pollinators of many flowering plant species. While nectar supplies most of their nutritional requirements, they obtain protein from spiders and insects.
And the container is now empty. However, I feel sure the little bird might have a headache for a while.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia: Julia Gross [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
43 people like this
43 responses
@allknowing (153544)
• India
17 Jul 19
I would rather put it to pain as there is no way to find out if a bird has a head ache (lol)
3 people like this
@Aquitaine24 (12000)
• San Jose, California
18 Jul 19
@JudyEv That is good to know.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
17 Jul 19
Glad that the New Holland honeyeater finally came round ! It must have been dizzy with hunger.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
21 Jul 19
@JudyEv Did you mean that it banged its head against the window ?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jul 19
@changjiangzhibin89 Yes, that is what happened. It flew straight into the window and knocked itself out.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
17 Jul 19
lovely bird, hope he wasn't hurt by his mishap
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jul 19
I hope so too. There wasn't much you could do for him.
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
22 Jul 19
@JudyEv hope he learned not to do it again
1 person likes this
@Aquitaine24 (12000)
• San Jose, California
18 Jul 19
Having a cat or dog near makes it worse.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
18 Jul 19
Poor bird! 
Things could have been worse.
Things could have been worse.1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
21 Jul 19
@JudyEv Hopefully he will be more careful next time.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jul 19
@1hopefulman Yes - if he remembers what hit him - or rather what he hit! 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128830)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jul 19
I always have a headache when I bang into the glass! I know how the bird feels.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128830)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jul 19
@JudyEv More often than you would believe!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Jul 19
@moffittjc Maybe you need more decals on your doors and windows - or maybe just more brains in your head. 
1 person likes this
@hayyusophana (187)
• Indonesia
17 Jul 19
I wonder what causes that bird to have a headache..
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381815)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jul 19
They are pretty, aren't they? There are some lovely birds around.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
18 Jul 19
yup, gonna 've a headache fer certain. glad ya made 'ttempts to save 't whilst 't shook 't off. birds smack my windows quite oft 'n i sure feel fer 'em. the hubs thought they'd be a tad daft, 'til showed 'im they saw the reflection 'f my lil sanctuary 'n thought they'd be headed through more trees 'n such.
oddest one 'twas out front, a juvenile hawk clocked his noggin purty good. once he could move, he jest hopped'n the rail 'n sat there fer a good hour. shakin' his head from time to time. perhaps he'd a bit 'f double vision fer a bit?
from the food sources 'f this lil cutie, sounds kin to our hummin'birds :)
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
21 Jul 19
@JudyEv i jest love the color 'f the eyes 'f that lil honeyeater :) yes ma'am, i 'twas a tad concerned 'bout that hawk. they don't usually sit 'round long 'fter they come to.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34932)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 19
Poor thing, that must be a nasty shock. We get one now and then but it only seems to be a couple of times a year, thankfully.
I love the look of mirror-clad buildings like this
but I worry about the number of birds that would crash into it! Although apparently you can coat them with special stuff which makes them more visible to birds, I wonder how effective that is?
Using mirrors as exterior cladding has become a popular trend lately. Architects around the globe experiment with reflective surfaces to create striking effects in both public and residential build…
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
18 Jul 19
my grandmother used to have a beautiful bay window - birds hit that thing 10, 12 times a day.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
21 Jul 19
@JudyEv The sun reflects off the window and they just can't see the glass.
1 person likes this
