Originally Posted by
Daytrip
Just so you Brits know, I'm talking about the kind with feathers and beaks.
Why do bicyclists freak birds out so badly? Every time I ride near a bird or flock of birds, they take off as soon as I approach. Presumably they perceive me as some kind of a threat. Seems like a waste of energy to me.
That's because you're not a bird. It's a predator/prey response to fly off as you approach. Many birds are flock (aka herd) animals. They gain protection from the sheer numbers of individuals that make up the flock since a predator can usually only grab one individual. The smaller the bird, the better the chance they are going to go into a "flight or flight" (literally) response. Geese tend not to do this as they are larger and more territorial. Sparrows are going to fly off as soon as they recognize you as a potential threat. You're a massive strange looking animal (not a usual cat, fox, etc.) that is moving at a steady but very fast pace toward it. It's not the usual predator behaviour (they tend to stalk) which birds have evolved over millions of years to react to. They flee when you're right on them. It's what many bird species have evolved to react to.
back to bicycles now?