Move on, mister, these seeds and nuts are mine!
Be gone, seed thief, or I will pull out a feather (and he did!).
I mean business, and I’m bigger than you…now!
Red-bellied Woodpeckers have several threat displays, such as raising the feathers on their neck and crown, or, as shown above, spreading out their wings and tail to appear larger to the intruder.
…not until the starling was long gone did the red-bellied feel calm enough to go back up to his icy treetop, knowing his feeder was safe.
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7 comments:
We have lots of Red-bellies around here. And anybody who chases away a Starling is my hero.
Wow great shots of nature in the raw. A few years back a red belly took on a squirrel in my feeder and won the showdown.
He's not giving up his spot without a fight! Lovely shots telling a story :-)
Paul.
Starlings are notorious feeders and usually get their way at feeders or anywhere else. I like the red-bellied woodpecker too. Nice photos.
Roy: It was amazing to watch. The woodpecker did not back down at all. First time to ever witness the feather threat display.
Trout: I had better tell my squirrels to watch out. They steal out of that feeder all the time!
Snowbabies: Thanks!
Abe: The past couple of days have brought in a lot more starlings than usual. I'm glad the woodpecker stood up to them. All the other birds shy away from them. Thanks!
I'm glad to see the woodpecker stand up. The starlings are such a pressure on the woodpecker populations. I've seen starlings and flickers go at it for hours over a nest hole.
...I was too, Steve. When I was watching them, my adrenalin surged while I was rooting for the woodpecker! I'm glad I had my camera at hand.
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