Hi everyone
We just had a walk around our local nature reserve and there was this huge commotion where these two Canada geese(?) looked like they were having a fight. The one on the right of the pic grabbed the other one by the neck and it just wouldn't let go. All of the other birds on the lake gathered around like they were egging on their favourite and this scuffle lasted for several minutes.
After a while the one that had it's neck in the other ones beak struggled and flapped about to try to escape to the edge of the lake, but his neck was still being firmly held by the other one, and at the lake edge the aggressor jumped on top of the other ones back and held his head under the water. There was so much flapping that my OH tried clapping his hands because we really thought the poor goose was going to be drowned. When they flapped off the aggressor latched onto it's back and tried to push it under the water again.
We weren't absolutely certain whether it was a fight or whether it was just about possible that the aggressor was trying to mate with the other poor half drowned goose, but it looked really aggressive.
I think that one was actually trying to kill the other one, because the one that was attacked seemed to try everything it could to escape but it just couldn't get away. It tried getting out of the water, on the landing area where people feed them, but the other ones beak was still clamped around it's neck no matter what it did. Eventually they disappeared further over the lake where the bushes were really dense and we lost sight of them.
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos
Hope someone posts the answer looks quite aggresive to me
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
Same here hope someone answers your question, it looks all rather alarming doesn't it, especially as Canada Geese are quite large I should imagine it was quite shocking to watch.
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Unknown said: I should imagine it was quite shocking to watch.
Hi Kezmo
Yes it was really shocking to watch. I genuinely didn't think that the one that was attacked was going to survive. If it was a case of two males having an argument, then the one that was attacked had clearly given in and was just trying to get away.
When we walked past the place where we had last seen them at least I didn't see any sign of either of them. I half expected to see a body.
Hi Woodpecker,
Yes this is fighting behaviour, not mating. This is highly likely to be territorial behaviour, as the nesting season approaches pairs will defend a territory in much the same way as swans and in some cases, such as the one you have captured on camera, can be very brutal. If you watch you will probably see a lot of territorial behaviour going on, lowering heads, chasing etc that can often solve disputes without requiring an actual fight but obviously in this case displays were not enough!
Kat
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Wow Woodpecker, what a thing to witness .. and also photograph. It must have been very disturbing, but it's nature I suppose.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Susan H said:but it's nature I suppose.
Hi Sparrow
Yes I suppose that's true. It was quite early as the building didn't open until 11am. It went on for a very long time and it was disturbing.
Thank you KatTai, for putting my mind at rest that we at least tried to save a goose that might have been killed.
Amazing photos and probably a once in a lifetime experience for you but I can understand it being distressing to see. Thanks for sharing it.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!