Pheasant visits north Norfolk garden twice a day and bangs head on patio door

The Deeley family cats watching the pheasant. Picture: Maggie Deeley Archant

At the beginning of the week the Deeley family began to hear some strange knocks on their patio door - when they went to investigate they found their garden had become the staging ground for a battle between a strange visitor and its own reflection.

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The Briston pheasant. Picture: Maggie Deeley The Briston pheasant. Picture: Maggie Deeley

Twice a day, every day, a pheasant makes its way into the garden belonging to Briston residents, John and Maggie Deeley, and begins a head aching fight with the glass door.

“He just comes up and starts attacking his reflection on the patio door,” said Mr Deeley.

“He arrives in the morning, I guess when he notices movement in the house, and walks right up to the door, then starts head butting the glass. He comes back in the afternoon and does it again. I’m really surprised he doesn’t hurt himself.”

The unusual visitor has also grabbed the attention of the Deeley’s two house cats, who Mr Deeley says are “fascinated” by the strange sight.

The Briston pheasant. Picture: Maggie Deeley The Briston pheasant. Picture: Maggie Deeley

“We don’t let the cats out when the pheasant is there and they are house cats anyway, but there are some other cats around that see him and they all appear to give him a wide berth,” Mr Deeley continued.

“It can be quite comical to watch our cats. They sit there and watch him and as he moves around the garden they race from one window to the next, following him.

“I guess this is just one of those things about living in the country. I assume he is trying to establish his own area and to rule the roost.”

A spokesperson from the RSPB said it is likely that the pheasant is just responding to its own reflection in the glass and it is not something to be concerned about.

“Pheasants tend to be quite shy and wary of people,” he said.

“They are domestic birds which have been bred and in this case the bird may have come in contact with people more than usual, which is why it is not phased by people on the other side of the glass.

“Once they are freed they are generally free to wander off wherever they want to go and it is not unusual for them to end up in someone’s garden. It is difficult to comment about this behaviour specifically but it seems likely that it has found its own reflection and it responding to it, which is not unusual for many animals.”