I am very aware that birds have attachments; crows are some of the most caring
family members in the bird world. I have photographic documentation of them
feeding a sick family member, and have witnessed them quietly attending the
death of a relative from West Nile virus. No one knows if they feel sadness,
but it is reasonable to suppose they do.
But the actions described, pecking at the head and pulling on a wing, are
aggressive things that care-givers just don't do. I was responding to the
description of the observation, not from some cynical world view.
Ascribing human emotions to birds is risky at best. If we're ever going to
understand animal emotions we have to be careful with our observations. Simply
being beside a dead or hurt member of the same species doesn't really tell you
much. Male birds and other animals have been documented copulating with dead
females (google "davian behavior"), which doesn't seem very respectful to me.
The bright colors of a dead male bird would probably still elicit aggressive
actions from another male, especially if they two individuals had been fighting
right beforehand.
Marsha's observation was very interesting and I thank her for sharing, no
matter what the interpretaion.
Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Meena Haribal
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:21 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] witnessed bird drama
Hi all,
First, did you Marsha see two males or one male and a female?
If it was a pair then, I beg to differ from Marie and Kevin. Birds do feel sad
and will try to help mate.
I have seen when the birds get hurt, other birds become curious and come to see
what has happened. Recently, a female cardinal hit my car at the passenger door
and collapsed on the road. I got distressed and I turned back to see if I could
help. It must have taken a couple of minutes for me to turn around and come
back to spot where the female had slumped on the road. By the time I came back
male cardinal was sitting next to it and was trying to move her with the beak.
I won't call it aggression. I think he was distressed that something has
happened to his mate. She was bleeding badly. I picked her up and put her on
the side of the road. Male stood nearby watching me. I also found a Red-winged
Blackbird come and take a look at her too.
Same was true for a pair of Orioles who had lost their fledgling to an
accident. They stood next to the injured fledgling and tried to revive. I spent
half an hour watching and both parents did not budge from the location. They
did try to revive and move it to life.
A ditto with a family of Common Miner in Australia, parent was hit by a car and
it was shocked. If I had left the miner there, another car would have killed
it. So I moved him away from the road. The whole family stood in a nearby tree
and watched me and the injured miner. After I fed it with some water, it
revived after about fifteen minutes it opened one eye. A little later with some
more water he moved to a different branch, but still dazed but alive. As I left
them and stood and watched second parent went to the injured bird and
fledglings followed the parent. I could not wait much longer as I had to hit my
campground. I hoped they would be reunited.
Meena
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Marie P Read
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 3:52 PM
To: M Kardon; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] witnessed bird drama
Hi Marsha (and all),
Cool observation, but it doesn't sound like one bird helping another to
me...I'd interpret this as a territorial fight, where one bird chased the other
into the window (by mistake), and the pecking is aggression.
Marie
Marie Read Wildlife Photography
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY 13068 USA
Phone 607-539-6608
e-mail [email protected]
http://www.marieread.com
Now on FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Read-Wildlife-Photography/104356136271727
________________________________________
From: [email protected]
[[email protected]] on behalf of M Kardon
[[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 3:09 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] witnessed bird drama
Yesterday morning I heard the thump of a bird strike on the dining room window
(the only one without a spider web decal on it, so maybe they work). I walked
over to check for a downed bird, arriving within 10-15 seconds of the thump,
and saw two Baltimore orioles on the grass just under the windows, one with its
wings partially out and face down, the other standing right next to it. Within
a second or two of my arrival at the window, the standing bird pecked the other
bird on the neck, and the downed bird jerked and brought its head up, but then
slumped again. The standing bird then called hoarsely, then immediately pecked
the other bird even harder on the neck. This time it jerked again, then,
within a second or two, both birds flew off into the woods together. I've
never seen one bird help another in this way. It happened so quickly and was
so surprising that I forgot to notice whether they were males or females or one
of each. Marsha Kardon
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