Agonistic Behavior – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

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.

Long-billed Curlews – A Territorial Encounter

By Mia McPherson|April 14th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: Agonistic Behavior, Communicative Interactions, Crouch-Run, curlew, curlews, fighting, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, Supplanting, territorial encounter, Wing-Raising|

Yesterday on Antelope Island State Park I witnessed and photographed a territorial encounter between two Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) males that occurred while a female was nearby.

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 game birds|

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