It might seem a bit far-fetched but as I drove the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route this morning I actually watched a male red-winged blackbird attack an American white pelican as it casually, ever so innocently, swam down the canal.
This strange interaction between these two birds wasn’t, mind you, an isolated incident either.
I witnessed it several more times on the north leg of the auto loop while searching for pelicans to photograph, confirming to me it wasn’t a one-and-done random fluke but a purposeful behavior by several male blackbirds that were perched in various locations on the opposite canal bank.
From the looks of the situation, I’m certain there were red-winged blackbird nests along that bank somewhere by how aggressive the males suddenly started to act when the pelican swam by, sometimes causing the large bird to take flight and land further down the canal.
Fortunately, since I was there photographing pelicans I had my camera handy to document the occurrence as I’m certain pelicans aren’t commonly harassed by blackbirds, at least I wouldn’t think so that is.
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During breeding season male red-winged blackbirds are very aggressive in protecting their nest and will actively chase off anything they feel is a threat, including crows, ravens, gulls, hawks, and even us humans at times, however, this is the first time I have ever seen one purposely chase a pelican for any reason.
This small but very interesting occurrence between a pelican and several red-winged blackbirds is a good example of why I visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route as often as I do, sometimes as many as 5 times per week, in fact, when the weather is somewhat cooperative at least.
Birdwatching is a most enjoyable and relaxing hobby and there is always something to learn and enjoy while spending some time out in nature watching and photographing birds.
Regardless if you are an avid birdwatcher or someone whose interest in nature is just starting to bud, I offer you to head on over to our subscribe page and sign up for email notifications for future blog posts where our intent is to help foster that interest through both photography and the written word.
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(Singing Red-winged Blackbird. For short nature photography tips and interesting stories about the natural world around us, subscribe to our Bear River Blogger channel on YouTube for videos and updates from our travels while out in nature, both on and off of the famed Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.)
