Chipping Sparrow Hiding?

Did this Chipping Sparrow try and hide from my by ducking behind a single blade of grass? Probably not. Though it's difficult to tell what animals are thinking [1], I suspect that when birds can see you (and this 1 certainly could see me) they figure they're in danger and take evasive maneuvers [2] or utilize cloaking devices [3], similar to Star Trek warships.

I've also found that sometimes when I'm scanning a tree for a vocalizing bird, the vocalization will suddenly stop, and my suspicion is that the bird recognized that I was beginning to look in their direction. (I wish I could say that I frequently spot the bird after it stops singing/calling ... but that doesn't seem to happen very often.)

Despite the slight obstruction, I more or less liked the picture I got.

May 8, 2023 at Willowwood Arboretum
Photo 282304696, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] This difficulty doesn't stop me from trying to figure them out, of course.

[2] Evasive maneuvers consist of flying away.

[3] Diving underwater (like many waterfowl) or moving to the other side of a tree or into dense foliage (like many passerines) can be effective ways to hide.


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