I have seen a couple times something like what Marsha described with the Orioles. A Starling had been killed in the road near South Lansing, but its body was not smashed (suggesting, in appearance at least, that it could get up and fly away). Next to it stood a "frantic" (my interpretation) live Starling pulling at the dead one's wing over and over, as if trying to get it to revive and fly away with the live bird. To my human eyes, the live bird seemed extremely upset that its friend would not get up and fly away. -Donna Scott ----- Original Message ----- From: M Kardon To: Cayuga Bird List Cayuga Bird List Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 3:09 PM Subject: [cayugabirds-l] witnessed bird drama
Yesterday morning I heard the thump of a bird strike on the dining room window (the only one without a spider web decal on it, so maybe they work). I walked over to check for a downed bird, arriving within 10-15 seconds of the thump, and saw two Baltimore orioles on the grass just under the windows, one with its wings partially out and face down, the other standing right next to it. Within a second or two of my arrival at the window, the standing bird pecked the other bird on the neck, and the downed bird jerked and brought its head up, but then slumped again. The standing bird then called hoarsely, then immediately pecked the other bird even harder on the neck. This time it jerked again, then, within a second or two, both birds flew off into the woods together. I've never seen one bird help another in this way. It happened so quickly and was so surprising that I forgot to notice whether they were males or females or one of each. Marsha Kardon -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
