But sometimes you'll see them doing some of the darndest things. Things that would seem absolutely absurd from a human standpoint. A red-bellied woodpecker hammers incessantly on an iron post. That's gotta hurt. Tiny sparrows attack large owls with no hope of victory.
Blue jays swoop down like fighters on nonexistant targets.
Yet they thrive. If something unexpected happens, they simply fly away. With that unique safety mechanism, there's plenty of room for error. I liken birds to slightly defective machines. In general they work fairly well, but have quirky nuances, such as most of the vehicles I've owned.