Ben C. O. Grimm - One Weblog Too Many

When I arrived home from work today, I found a rather morbid surprise in my living room: a tiny dead bird.

I have no idea what caused its demise. I have a window open at the front and the back of the (adjoining) rooms for ventilation, and it is a tiny bird, but birds usually don't like confined spaces.

Anyway, it got in somehow, but what happened next is anyone's guess. Maybe it panicked and flew against the windows or the glass doors that separate the rooms, or maybe it was hunted down by my cat.

I find the latter highly doubtful, because my cat is way over twenty, and it can hardly be bothered to cover the distance to its feeding bowl.

I have no idea what kind of bird it is (or was). It looks like some kind of songbird, not the usual city bird. If you know, let me know using the guestbook, will you?

P.S. Arjan had this to say:

Hi, I think your bird looks like a 'koolmees' (dutch) / Great Tit (english) / Parus major (official Latin designation for the species).

That type of bird is quite sensitive to stress as well, so your panic theory adds up very well.

I think the pictures on Wikipedia (Dutch Wikipedia, English Wikipedia) are conclusive. Thanks, A! Always nice to know who the dead guy in the livingroom was ..

P.P.S. On the other hand, Ace pointed out that it is probably a 'pimpelmees' (or 'blue tit', 'Parus caeruleus') (Dutch Wikipedia, English Wikipedia).

The main difference appears to be a white head with a black stripe on the Blue Tit, opposed to a black head with a white stripe on the Great Tit (I do hope this gets quoted in the right context ...).

Also check out the similar 'protruding nail' in my picture and in this one.

I think Ace hit it in one. So to speak.