Outdoor Ontario

Discussion => Behaviour => Topic started by: thouc on October 05, 2020, 07:02:33 PM

Title: Song Sparrows bullying baby Cardinal
Post by: thouc on October 05, 2020, 07:02:33 PM

First I noticed a Song Sparrow sitting beside a recently fledged Cardinal (seems pretty late) for a while, then it was making some kind of feeding or pecking motion towards the Cardinal. Later another Song Sparrow joined and they were landing on the Cardinal's back and pulling its wing, and eventually the Cardinal moved a bit out of sight. Mama Cardinal was in the vicinity but didn't intervene, either she didn't notice or didn't care.

/Thomas

Title: Re: Song Sparrows bullying baby Cardinal
Post by: Dinusaur on October 11, 2020, 12:37:19 PM

Interesting behaviour indeed. I thought with their size difference the cardinals will be doing more bullying than the sparrows, I guess two against one is a winning combo.

Title: Re: Song Sparrows bullying baby Cardinal
Post by: thouc on October 11, 2020, 01:25:55 PM

I think the Song Sparrows were a bit hesitant at first, but got bolder when the baby Cardinal just sat there without reacting much.