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From: fowler@uw-beaver (Rob Fowler)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Re: Bird Wars
Message-ID: <367@uw-beaver>
Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 15:53:08 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.367
Posted: Thu Jan 10 15:53:08 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 01:31:54 EST
References: <486@mhuxt.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
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>     1.)  What could the large bird have done to get so many small birds 
>          so pi**ed off at it?
Birds are very territorial.  Merely approaching nesting areas can set
off this kind of behavior.  Around here the swallows will attack any
larger birds that come around.  Crows will harass owls to death.  I once
saw a group of crows hounding a bald eagle.  When the
crows were coming in on an attack run the eagle did a roll
to greet the attacker with its talons.  The crows break off the attack
rather than get hurt, but continually having to defend itself the eagle
seemed to be tiring rapidly.  I don't know whether the eagle got away or
not because they all flew out of sight.
>     2.)  How come the small birds were faster and less manueverable than the
>          large bird?  I would have expected the opposite.
When swallows attack crows (and I presume other large birds) their attack
runs are very fast dives and I guess they lose maneuverability at high
speeds.
>   3.)  What would the small birds have done, had they succeeded in catching
>          the large bird?
Again, when swallows attack, they crash dive beak first into the back of
the larger bird.  Judging by the desparate screams of the crows this
must hurt like hell.  I don't know whether they actually kill the larger
bird, but it's likely that it'll never return to the area.
>     4.)  Don't they have better things to do?
What's more useful than defending home and family from predators?

-- Rob Fowler