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

The only swan on a local lake I fish is always graceful and quiet. It even comes within 10 yds of my boat maybe expecting another apple core thrown its way. But today I heard it flapping its wings flying close to the surface and then saw it land mid lake. It wouldn't stop slapping its wings on the surface and putting its beak in the water many times. All of a sudden about 10' from the swan a cormorant surfaces and the swan goes back on the attack - at least five more times. The cormorant finally gave up and took off and the swan went back to its usual resting/preening area.

Anyone ever hear of such a thing much less see such a thing?! Amazing!

They can be territorial.

Wildlife can be surprising and amazing

Some critters just need a good beat down to get the message, eh?

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Originally Posted by MCG1

Some critters just need a good beat down to get the message, eh?

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Sounds like it got one

great blue herons will actually fight to the death over a good "fishing" spot , we watched one drown another one, one time over an intrusion into the first bird's area !
there were several of us watching the fight unfold and the resident bird just totally worked the visitor over and then held him under the water until he drowned it ,AND it didn't stop there , after about 10 minutes he went back over to the drowned bird and gave it a good once over one more time for good measure !

Never heard that story about blue herons. We have several on my favorite stretch of my creek. You’re right that most times they are solitary except when breeding and then I will see pairs.
Bob

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

We don't have any of those exotic birds here. Just crows and turkey buzzards. [emoji1]

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Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

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

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The OP should have tossed that swan a switch blade.

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.

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Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

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

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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 .

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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.

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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 :Rofl

Nature can be very mysterious at times!:Rofl
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:
Attachment 408311

Nice photo, Spoon, but man that water looks bad with algae! Around here a couple of ponds in a state park had warnings posted about the water being toxic! Yuch!
Bob

I wonder Bob - could that be a surface layer with cleaner water down below? The fish had no problem tracking & attacking different lure color brightness's all over the lake. Even 1 1/4" lures got hit by small, little pesky tail nipper sunfish.

I like to watch the heron "Spike" the bream, throw them up in the air, then down the hatch head first.
Perhaps the bream's last thoughts are "I don't remember those couple of weeds standing there..." (Legs!)

I saw a heron do that to a bass in my pond. Couldn't swallow it and left it to die on the ground. Doubt the hunting season in NY includes killing heron or any bird other than turkey.