Kleptoparasitism – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Pied-billed Grebe With Prey

By Mia McPherson|November 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: fish, grebe, grebes, Kleptoparasitism, marsh, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, prey, steal, water, wetlands, winter|

It can be especially fun to watch these small grebes catch a fish to eat and then see the other Pied-billed Grebes nearby try to steal the fish away from it because of the action that can occur.

Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|February 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, hen, icy water, kleptoparasites, Kleptoparasitism, male, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, photograph, photographing, swimming, take off, wing flap, winter|

I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.

American Coot Being Chased By Mallards For Food

By Mia McPherson|February 1st, 2017|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, chase, coot, food, Fulica americana, interspecific, intraspecific, kleptoparasites, Kleptoparasitism, Mallard, winter|

Early in January I photographed an American Coot being chased by two Mallards for the food it carried in its bill.