During our stay at Paika Station, a plucky male Superb Fairy-wren, nesting in the hedge in front of our cottage, took great exception to his own reflection in the wing mirror of the car.
Obviously, he was unable to distinguish his reflection – in both the mirror and the window – from potential usurping males. He would attack his reflection tirelessly for minutes at at time, and come back every 10 minutes or so to try again. As can be seen from the photos, he often left droppings behind during these frenzies.
He seemed to be expending so much energy in this behavior that we became worried he might die of exhaustion. We tried to cover the mirrors, but the reflections in the glass of the windows were also enough to arouse his aggression. He even fought his reflection in the window of our cottage at one point.
We hope that when we left, this little guy settled down.
Bramandagram 