Thread: Strange but true: swan attacked a cormorant and wouldn't stop!

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

Funny though - the swan never goes after herons. Guess it has something against cormorants.

if the heron species is a great blue, the swan probably realizes a chase wont end well , when all else fails a great blue will SPEAR their opponents and being speared with a Bowie knife for sure won't end well with a big mad bird attached to it .
and the swan may see a cormorant as a rival since they both swim around the same way in the water rather than stand on something and watch .

Originally Posted by whiskerwhipper

I have a banty chicken that chases away those pesky Canadian Geese from my Pop's pond. Banty chicken is a quarter of their size.

our banty is about 1/20 the size of a greater canadian , she is no larger than a quail . but she has the heart of a big bird and stands her own with any chicken we own that messes with her .
and she is about 500 times faster than a regular chicken when it calls for it and can flat out back a big mean chicken down with a full fledged head attack from the air , she flies about as good as she runs and she runs really well ...

I see animal aggression daily from the one small turtle that bites and then chases the bigger turtles in my pond as well as the pumpkinseed sunfish that goes after any fish that gets too close while waiting for bread. One of my border collies attacks her sister for no reason almost daily and has to be caged until the mood passes. Both dogs don't tolerate herons, egrets or any large bird - especially geese - and run down the hill barking like crazy chasing them away.
Swans are primarily herbivores and no bird competes with it for anything - especially cormorants - so why the aggression?

might be a simple as a cormorant took one of its little ones once upon a time ?
or just flat out don't wanna share swimming areas .
or in a children's story it could be the swan is trying to keep the little fish safe from the evil black bird

Nature can be very mysterious at times!
Bob

"might be a simple as a cormorant took one of its little ones once upon a time?"

A cormorant eating a bird - of any size? But I do wonder if the swan's aggression will be the same if Canadian geese plop down next spring.

Got a blue Herron on my pond. I have seen him come in and run others off if they happen to be there. Have seen him in a couple of real knock down drag out fights with others blue’s. And if a white egret happens to be there when he ari es it’s really a show.


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Update: the cormorant was 70 yds. away from the swan at the opposite end of the lake. The swan came near to the boat looking for more apple cores. I've named her Swanee and I think she likes to be called that plus I call to her - good bird, good bird, get that cormorant!


her picture taken today: