Birds in a Fight - upload your photos

[offshorebirder]

A play on the title of @Game Warden's topic of endless fun.  Upload your photos of birds fighting.

 

This past Saturday, during a shorebird survey at the Yawkey Wildlife Center, I saw two Stilt Sandpipers (Calidris himantopus) engaged in a vicious fight in a partially drained tidal impoundment (a former ricefield).  

 

One was mercilessly pursuing the other, and jumping on it, pecking at it, stomping on its back and head, etc.   The loser of the fight was obviously trying to surrender, disengage and flee, but the winner was having none of it.  I really think it was set on killing its rival.  Eventually the vanquished sandpiper was able to get loose and flee.  Fights like that are the kind of setup that predators like falcons dream about.

 

I am not sure if the fight began as a dispute over a foraging micro-territory, or from the natural friction between shorebirds in the breeding season when they are pumped full of hormones.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by offshorebirder

[Soukous]

terrific sequence Nate

[Peter Connan]

Terrific indeed!

[Kalaharikind]

What an absolutely incredible sighting and sequence! Thanks so much for sharing it.