The bullies of the refuge square off against each other.
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, not baited, set up or called in
For better or for worse Bald Eagles simply don’t recognize legitimate “ownership” when it comes to food. If it appeals to them anybody’s food is fair game whether it rightfully belongs to an Osprey, harrier, hawk, owl, magpies, ravens, crows or another Bald Eagle. They even steal food from predatory or scavenging mammals. Fairly or not Ben Franklin referred to the Bald Eagle as a “bird of bad moral character” and a “coward.” In truth kleptoparasitism is a legitimate ecological role shared by a variety of birds but Bald Eagles seem to be the poster child for a behavior thought to be less than honorable by many.
Some years ago at Farmington Bay WMA the adult eagle on the right had been contentedly feeding on the carp behind its tail (as evidenced by the blood on its bill) when another adult swooped down onto the ice and challenged the legitimate owner for the fish. They squared off in threatening postures before the potential thief apparently decided that the aggressiveness of the other eagle’s response was more than he wanted to deal with so that bird eventually abandoned its attempt at thievery.
More often than not such aggressive interactions between Bald Eagles over food don’t even result in physical contact but on rare occasions they’re lethal to one of the protagonists. Over the years I’ve witnessed dozens of these encounters between Bald Eagles over food but only occasionally do they actually fight, although when they do it can appear to be truly vicious.
Thankfully I’ve never seen a death or even a serious injury result from such an encounter.
Ron
I love the symmetry of your image. Coincidentally, just two mornings ago I saw an immature Bald Eagle swipe a fish from an Osprey, which then followed after the eagle for a short time. A couple of years ago while I was monitoring a Bald Eagle nest with young, one of the adults carried in a fish with an Osprey following close behind. The eagle did not risk stopping at the nest so it circled and flew away, returning in minutes without the aggrieved Osprey.
https://www.facebook.com/steve.grimme.9/videos/2582129335172820/UzpfSTExNzcwODk3NDU6MTAyMTc1MTUzMDY4NTI2ODc/
“Snicker…”
That’s one confused hawk.
Quite the showdown. The setting is interesting. Before reading the location I thought it was at the seashore, but I’m guessing that’s snow in the background rather than sea foam.
Lyle, the entire setting is nothing but ice and snow.
Late to the party today (cursing my computer).
Awe and wonder. I would never, ever challenge either of these birds.
If they have food (legitimately caught or not) do any other species challenge them for it?
Some of the corvids and gulls challenge them for food, EC. But it isn’t a direct physical confrontation. They harass eagles until they manage to steal a tidbit or two. Gulls often harass eagles in the air and sometimes make them drop their fish. But no other species I know of directly challenges them to fight.
And smaller birds mob eagles when they enter their territory.
That said, here’s a very dramatic exception (it isn’t easy to watch):
Thank you. So essentially some birds will try and harass them off their food, but challengers are rare. I have seen smaller birds (magpies for one) attempt to mob our Wedge-tailed Eagles. The eagle treats them with ignore.
Ron, what an awesome photo. As you mention in one of your replies, the eagle on the left is not looking at the other eagle but in a direction to his right. It is almost like the eagle on the left has already lifted off the ground considering its foot position and the wings being straight up. Enjoyed the commentary. Thank you, Ron
Alice, I wish I could remember for sure what happened after this shot was taken but I can’t. But I’d have saved more shots if the confrontation had continued.
Phenomenal shot, Ron! This one needs to go on your rotating wall display! I want to ask the interloper, “Geez, will you knock it off if I get you your own fish?” I just cringe at the lethality of so many animal encounters, even though I know it’s just part of life.
In other news, went out earlier this morning (phoebes must have slept in because I didn’t see any) and I think I saw my first White Pelican. Ever. It was in flight and kind of far from me, but there’s no mistaking the silhouette and it was white with black on the wings. I may or may not have awoken my neighbors in my excitement. I definitely got a few dogs going.
Exciting about your pelican, Marty. Range maps show them in your area so it sure could have happened. Except for winter they’re a common sight around here.
Great shot of my favorite….the beautiful Bald eagle ❤️ Everett is right the turkey on our emblem just would have not look right😁
Enjoy today❗️
Thank you, Diana. You do have a point…
As Everett mentioned, when bald eagles DO get into a fight, they are lethal. As a raptor rehabilitator, I’ve seen the results several times and it’s grisly, including one in which it looked like the ‘winner’ was starting to cannibalize the ‘loser.’ But punctures to the face and neck, lower bill ripped off … ugh. They definitely don’t seem to have the surrender mode that wolves do. I suspect the fights that go to that extent are over territory, not just food. We routinely release youngsters during the winter into congregations of eagles because we know there’s a good food supply there and they’ll learn the ropes, including how to steal!
I dunno, Louise. I’ve seen quite a few Bald Eagle fights where there was significant physical contact without apparent injury, much less lethality
You’re right about them fighting over territory. Here’s what Cornell’s Birds of North America Online has to say on the subject:
“Most aggression among adults in response to territorial disputes during nesting; among all ages in response to competition for food any time of the year, but especially during winter, and for favorite foraging perches and roosting sites; and among nestlings for food.”
Excellent photo Ron. It has been my experience that almost always the eagle with the prey will have a more ferocious reaction that results in driving off the potential thief. Franklin was of course right, but oh what beautiful birds. Tom Turkey just would not do as our National Emblem. Last year here in Prescott at our Lynx Lake we had a rouge male eagle enter the area and eventually confront and then seriously injure our long time male. Someone found the injured eagle just off a highway leading out of town and contacted Fish & Game who came and took him to Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix. He would have died had they not. He is alive and well there, but will never fly again. The new male is much younger and considerably larger. We are waiting now as we near the mating season to see if she will accept this young guy as her new mate. I wrote an article about this a few months back for our local Audubon chapter periodical.
I agree with you, Everett. When it comes to eagle “attitude” possession of food is nine tenths of the law.
In the case of this photo, based on relative size I’d guess the bird on the right is a female. Females are about 25% larger than males so I suspect the presumed male on the left was intimidated by her size.
Never get in between a woman and her food! 😈
Pretty amazing photograph!
Thank you, Shelley.
Great shot, Ron……. 🙂 They can get nasty! Made me think of the eagle and the hawk on the deer carcass last winter – Hawk was seriously the underdog tho, after working to get a bite for awhile, it did manage to fly away. Survival of the fittest (or sneakiest)……. Aggressor in this case seems to be saying “oh shit” maybe this was a bad idea tho it probably was just glancing towards the camera.. 😉
Judy, If I remember correctly the eagle on the left was actually looking in the direction it eventually took off to make its escape from the bad situation that it had created.