aggressive – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

American Coots Fighting – Pond Pugilists

By Mia McPherson|April 30th, 2023|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, aggressive, American Coot, battle, battling, behavior, combative, come to blows, coot, coots, fight, fighting, kicking, knock down, park, pond, ruckus, Salt Lake County, spring, urban, Utah, water, winding down, wing slapped|

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I took my best-to-date images of fighting American Coots. I had a blast and laughed a lot while I took them.

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Coots, Coots and More Coots

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2018|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, afternoon light, aggressive, aggressive behavior, American Coot, chase, coot, coots, Fulica americana, pond, territory, urban, water, winter|

The last birds I photographed in 2017 were American Coots and some of the first birds I took photos of in 2018 were also coots.

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Brief But Aggressive Encounter Between Pied-Billed Grebes

By Mia McPherson|December 18th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: aggressive, Agonistic Behavior, behavior, bill, fight, fighting, grebe, grebes, neck, nonbreeding, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, territorial behavior, territorial dispute, water, winter|

This aggressive encounter between the two Pied-billed Grebes only lasted a few seconds and if I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed photographing it.

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Post-breeding Season Aggressive Behavior in American Avocets Plus a Bonus Great Horned Owl

By Mia McPherson|August 20th, 2016|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Horned Owls, Utah|Tags: aggression, aggressive, American Avocet, avocets, behavior, birds of prey, Bubo virginianus, fighting, Great Horned Owl, owls, Physical contact, shorebirds|

I am unable to find information on line about why this male American Avocet attacked the female so aggressively but I can say that it was fascinating to see and photograph it.

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First winter male Common Merganser

By Mia McPherson|January 27th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: aggressive, biting, Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, first winter, grebe, grebes, ice, immature, male, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, plopped, Podilymbus podiceps, preening, rested, serrated bill, shore, stretching, water, wing flap, wing flapping, winter, young|

Yesterday morning I spotted a lone Common Merganser at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area nearly hidden in some phragmites and when we came around the corner the bird seemed to have disappeared but after a bit it came out from its hiding spot and gave us quite a show.

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Ole Blue Eyes – White Ibis

By Mia McPherson|July 18th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, White Ibises|Tags: adult, aggressive, angry, blue eyes, coastal, Eudocimus albus, forgaging, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, ibus, shoreline, wading birds, White Ibis|

I think it is great to see a bird with sea blue eyes feeding along a shoreline with water nearly of nearly the hue.

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Chukars and Fighting for the Right to Mate

By Mia McPherson|March 15th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, aggressive, Agonistic Behavior, Alectoris chukar, battle, breeding behavior, breeding season, Chukar, chukars, dominant male, fighting, loser, mating, mating rights, nesting territory, pinned down, sparring, spring, territorial, upland terrestrial birds|

The behavior of the Chukars indicates that the males are already acting territorial and fighting for the right to mate.

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