A heron which displayed odd behaviour outside an Isle of Wight home was either marking its territory or 'displaying' to what it thought was a prospective mate after seeing its own reflection, wildlife experts have said.

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The bird visited Newport's Linda Rogers over a few days last week.

A video sent to the County Press shows it tapping on her patio doors.

Comments on Facebook suggested it was mating season and the bird likes the look of its own reflection in the glass!

And that’s not too far from the truth. 

Jim Baldwin from the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society told the County Press: "It looks like an immature bird to me which has seen itself in the glass and is either wanting to display to a prospective mate or deter the intruder on its territory.

"The grey heron is in its breeding season so immature birds are liable to show some breeding behaviour at this time of year as they do not start breeding until they are two to three years old."

Meanwhile, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said pecking or attacking windows is quite a common behaviour for birds.

A spokesperson said: "The birds are usually attacking their own reflection believing it to be an intruder in their territory, but they can also just be curious of their own reflections.”