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From: res@ihlpl.UUCP (Rich Strebendt @ AT&T Information Systems - Indian Hill West; formerly)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Re: Territorial redwinged blackbirds
Message-ID: <287@ihlpl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 01:15:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpl.287
Posted: Fri Aug 16 01:15:05 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 03:29:40 EDT
References: <2051CJC@psuvm>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 22

> >>       ... Are redwing blackbirds
> >>       as territorial as mockingbirds? 
> >
> >Hm, don't know about the territoriality aspect, but I once spent ten
> >minutes watching a red-winged blackbird chase a crow around and around.
> >Maybe they just don't like big birds!
>      
>   Years ago when we lived on a farm there was a redwinged blackbird that
>   dive-attacked ME whenever I walked down the road past HIS swamp. They
>   may not all be territorial, but that one sure was.

The answer marked "> >" is the closest -- big birds eat the eggs from
little birds' nests.  The blackbirds are not territorial -- they are
just trying to drive away anything big enough to be a threat to their
nests.  

This year we had a redwing blackbird nest in a bush on the edge of our
property.  The male was very active and noisy any time we got within
about 20 feet of the nest.

					Rich Strebendt
					...!ihnp4!iwsl6!res