WHO IS THE ANGRIEST BIRD OF ALL?
Who is the angriest bird of all? If you had to guess, I bet you’d think of birds with a reputation for meanness. An ostrich can kill a lion with their mighty kick. Or perhaps the cassowaries of Australia & New Zealand come to mind. They’ve actually killed humans with slashing blows from their feet. One of their toes has a long dagger! Talk about aggressive bird behavior!
I’m sure that the cheery American Robin didn’t pop into your head as the angriest bird of all.
I came across a recent twitter thread which suggested the sixth photo in one’s camera roll would be the cause of their death. My sixth photo was the one on the far right:
I bet you thought my sixth photo would be one of Louie! Okay, he was fifth and seventh, but not sixth!
A 3-ounce bird would cause my death? Kidding aside, I found this spooky because a pair of Turdus migratorius, aka American robins decided to build a nest three feet from our deck. (Which is the reason I had the photo in the first place!)
Those pretty orange-red breasted birds turned into pint-sized grizzly bears the moment their babies hatched!
AGGRESSIVE BIRD BEHAVIOR
PICTURES OF BACKYARD BIRDS LIKELY TO EXHIBIT AGGRESSIVE BIRD BEHAVIOR TO PROTECT THEIR YOUNG
What other behavior would they exhibit if not bird behavior?
AGGRESSIVE BIRD BEHAVIOR
Some form of parental behavior is present in virtually all ~ 9,000 living species of birds.
Why are these birds so aggressive?
The birds are protecting their babies!
Maybe we ought to reframe this aggressive bird behavior.
PREDATORS OF AVIAN SONGBIRD EGGS
No wonder my robin parents acted like the angriest birds of all!
WHO IS THE TOUGHEST BIRD?
The pair of robin parents that took over my yard for two weeks, that’s who!
I spent a lot of time sitting on the toilet seat so I could take these pics through the window and not ruffle the birds’ feathers. (Literally)
Okay, that’s a bad visual but the seat was down.
How many nestlings do you see on the right?
Pipping is the process by which the chick initially breaks through the shell, using a hard projection on its bill called the egg tooth.
FOUR babies! We had TWINS!
It is difficult to see…
Day 3! Nestlings are easier to see now.
Between signaling their aggressive intent the second I walked out the patio door via birdsong, & feeding these hungry nestlings 150 times/day, I imagine the robin parents were exhausted.
Both parents fed the babies non-stop from sunrise to dusk.
I admired their tenacity and drive. Their attitudes towards me? Not so much.
Forgive the video quality below…remember that I took this through the bathroom window!
Our nestlings were growing! This is at six days.
THE ANGRIEST BIRD OF ALL HELPS OTHER SPECIES!
Because our robin parents were model parents and achieved the title, ‘toughest bird of all’, predators stayed away. This, imho, allowed these guys living under the nest time to grow!
How many caterpillars do you see on the butterfly weed?
HUMANS AND THE ECOSYSTEM
Maybe you're wondering why I spent all that time in the bathroom taking photos?
Human intrusion, even by experienced researchers, causes an increase in avian nest predation
Click HereRepeated Human Intrusion Increases the Potential for Nest Predation!
A FEW ROBIN FACTS
This is day 8-9. The nest is getting crowded.
These babies have their first coat of feathers and look like birds! Fledglings!
I was outside at the time. You have never heard a bigger ruckus from the parents! I was fairly sure the robin parents were going to attack!
Reproving that a robin parent is the angriest bird of all.
I missed # 2 and #3 leave the nest so I tried to keep a close eye on this last baby.
The next morning, baby # 4 flew almost 30 feet! Their parents went bonkers, chirping and swooping and hovering nearby.
Aggressive bird behavior extraordinaire.
NOT JUST THE ANGRIEST BIRD BUT THE CLEANEST!
WHO IS THE TOUGHEST BIRD?
I have to admit a sense of relief when the angry robins vacated. 10 days with mama on her eggs, then another two weeks of aggressive bird behavior until they left for good.
Being the angriest bird of all paid off! All four fledglings made it!
Three of the four caterpillars emerged into lovely butterflies.
Too bad, cassowaries! Robins take the prize.
Have you ever been lucky enough to observe nature from your bathroom window? Or perhaps somewhere a little more convenient?
I love your baby bird photos! You’re so lucky to have the birds build a nest where you could watch them develop. Thanks for sharing your cool pics. And the fun facts.
We were lucky, I agree! I’m happy that you enjoyed my post. Thanks!
Having large talons doesn’t always mean you’re the angriest bird, it just means they can mess you up if you provoke them. The angriest birds I’ve seen are on documentaries and tiny, and as was the case with you, it’s as a result of protecting their offspring or eggs
Excellent point and exactly the one I was making here! Parents are the angriest birds! Looking at smaller birds; hummingbirds are ferocious at feeders. In fact, it’s recommended to put up four separate feeders in different locales as opposed to a four-opening feeder, to reduce aggression and stress. I’m fortunate to have a well-established hummingbird garden, but conditions can vary so feeders are a great option. Thanks!
I’d love to be able to watch birds nest building nearby but there’s nowhere really suitable. I do try to make the garden as bird friendly as possible though. Interesting topic, I really enjoyed reading this post.
Even if you can’t house them in your yard with a native tree, an eye towards a bird-friendly garden is more important! Thanks so much.
Is Batman less intimidating than his sidekick? Although, in my experience, Blue Jays are more aggressive even when they don’t have babies.
HA! Don’t underestimate Robin the sidekick! Blue jays are bossy, I agree. Thanks!
Gotta say it – I love all your posts but this one might be the funniest one so far. I was laughing out loud. And I love the pictures and all the research you always put into your posts. Amazingly good.
Thank you, Eva! I suspect you were envisioning me sitting on the toilet seat and Louie wondering what the heck I was doing half the day! ha
Very informative and funny, Sue. I grew up raising ducks and geese and once, when I was bent over pouring feed in a container, a protective gander bit me in the rear. It hurt!
Ouch! That qualifies in the aggressive behavior column. One time, a horse that didn’t want to be saddled, nipped me in the butt. I’m sure if he’d wanted to bite me, he could have done far worse! I suspect the gander bite hurt more! Thanks, Amy.
This is so fascinating and funny! I was always freaked out by ostriches anyway.
Ostriches are so unique that they are a little unsettling. I’m happy you liked my post! Thanks.
I love this post, I learned so much. Robins, who knew, well you did. 🙂 But I didn’t know about the deer either, sneaky deer. Your website is fascinating, well done for all the hard work that goes into it.
The deer really surprised me, too. Poor ducks and meadowlarks! (ground nesters) I appreciate the kind words! Thanks so much.
I have seen some birds get protective of their babies. They do always protect there young.
That must have been interesting to observe. Thanks so much!
I loved reading all about Robins here. I did not know most of the information you shared! This was such an interesting post.
I’m happy that you found my post interesting and STEM packed! Thank you for taking the time to comment!
I’d like to add another angry bird: the tree swallow. For several years they came to our birdhouse to nest. We were thrilled – they are gorgeous birds and eat tons of skeeters and things. Well, they were fussy and excitable when they were building the nest, but when the eggs were laid, and then hatched, look out! They actually dive bombed our heads! And not just when we walked near the box, but when we came out the front door. True, they always just missed, and never once grazed us (I guess it would have harmed them, too, to make that kind of contact) but let me tell you, it was unsettling, to say the least. They fly like little jet airplanes! It was worth it, though, for the joy of hearing and seeing the nestlings, and the flying lessons, and the innocent trusting baby that would drop at my feet and say hello. Thanks for another great and funny post!
Funny you should mention tree swallows. When we lived in MI and my husband would mow the lawn, when he got anywhere near their nest, they would dive bomb him, too. Our kids would sit at the window and watch and we’d talk about it! They never ventured in that part of our yard. The tree swallow tactics worked! I better add tree swallows to my list. Thanks, Marian! Great point!
Nice photos! Birds can be scary. My boys and I were chased by an angry goose !!
What did you do to anger the goose? haha Our oldest was chased by an angry turkey when we ventured too close to their nest. More proof that a bird parent is the angriest bird of all!
Agree that it’s birds protecting their eggs/young that are the angriest no matter how small they are. My dad was once attacked by a bird protecting their nest which he was unaware he was so close too. It was a small bird as I recall and sent a grown man running!
HA! I’m enjoying that visual far too much. I hope your dad escaped unscathed! Thanks.
It must have been an experience to be so close and live these days near the baby birds. I never had the chance to observe something similar from such a close distance. Loved the photos that accompanied the story 🙂
It was an amazing and somewhat stressful experience. Stressful only because I worried about how I’d affect the outcome. I hope you have a chance to observe something similar someday! Thanks.
There are many people who live the angry bird mentality on a daily basis. Come to NYC and you will see a number of angry birds walking around. But birds in general are natural protectors of their off springs babies as many other animals. The same can be said for people are always angry and exercise agression. What are they protecting? What are the reasons for their anger? Great post!
Great questions about human anger! That would make an intriguing post. Hang in there with those angry non-birds! Thanks.
Very interesting! My mom was attacked by a robin one time on the way to the mailbox so it makes sense. I would have guessed an ostrich though like you first said. I enjoyed the pictures. What a neat experience to witness.
Oh wow! Another robin aggressor! I suspect there must have been a nest nearby. Did she send you to the mailbox after that? HA! Watching the robins in action was quite an experience. I’m happy that I’m able to share it! Thanks so much.
Robins are always portrayed as a sweet bird, the face of Christmas cards, I never would have thought they would be aggressive!
Corinne x
The disparity between looks and actions is intriguing! That’s why I thought this topic would be a fun post. Thanks, Corinne!
Hello! Wow, I’ve never really known much about birds but this port was really insightful! Thanks for sharing! Alicia
Thanks so much. I’m happy you stopped by!
the way you blog is so entertaining! Birds are so adorable but yet they are also dangerous. Those pictures were amazing I had to read about the blue eggs.
Birds are adorable…from a distance! ha Thanks so much!
Wow, I never thought I’d be so interested in birds. Thanks for sharing this
I’m happy that I piqued your interest! Thanks so much.
Such a highly entertaining post – and I learned a lot! Yes we have the wild kingdom in our backyard as well featuring several bird species, skunks, squirrels and raccoons. I have a lovely photo of 5 raccoon kits arranged in a pyramid formation which I captured a few years ago. Cute at this age, but a costly nuisance when older (new roof, wire to ensure that can no longer rip apart my eavestroughs). Thanks for sharing thiis!
Wow, a wild kingdom with adorable mammals! I’d love to see your photo of the kits. Unfortunately, raccoons can do some damage, as you know better than most. Good luck managing your menagerie! Thanks.
Oo! These little guys and gals are so, so sweet! We hatch our own chicks and nothing is more heart melting than fluffy fledglings and chicks; I am constantly amazed at how fast they grow. Catbirds are our aggressors, living all over our yard and what racket they make!
Thanks for sharing an engaging story. 🙂
I agree! Baby chicks are sweet. Catbirds, not so much! Do you keep chickens for the eggs? Thanks for sharing your bird interactions!
Yep! Plenty of eggs until winter, as we do not have a heated henhouse.
Yum!
How fun to be able to watch the progression of the nesting and hatching behaviors! I had just learned the term pipping while watching the Atypical series on Netflix (main character was fascinated with penguins). Our family has encountered angry birds before – redwing blackbirds divebombing my brothers when their fishing boat got too close to a nesting area on a lake, and a male turkey knocking down my toddler cousin on a farm & standing on him!
It was fun to observe the robins. Interact with them? Not so much! Wow, the turkey knocked your cousin down? What happened to your cousin after the turkey pinned him? When our oldest son was a toddler, he too, was chased by an angry male turkey. I headed the turkey off before the bird got too close. Angry bird parents are no joke!
I absolutely loved reading this! A robin built a nest on top of one of the wreaths outside my front door a couple of years ago, so seeing all of this reminded me of them! It’s such a beautiful thing to witness up close! The parents were definitely were not happy when someone got too close to their nest! Thank you for sharing this! Beautiful photos too 🙂
A nest literally on your front door? That must have caused issues when you had visitors or deliveries! Yet worth any inconvenience for the fun of watching the growing robin family! I’m pleased that you were able to revisit your experience through my post. Thanks so much!
It was on the wall right next to the door and the mailbox! The front porch is a small area with a wall on one side and tall bushes on the other, so anyone coming in or out had to be careful! There were times the bird parents got pretty upset if someone was there but thankfully there wasn’t any actual attacks like I have read others say in their experience with them. Like you said, it was worth any little inconvenience to see them up close like that!
The mailbox? Those poor birds must have been unhappy, not to mention the mail carrier! I bet the robins didn’t choose that spot for their next brood! At least you had the fun of seeing the babies grow!
Lovely pic of yours in the last. Great pics you took of nature. Naa no chance of taking pics from bathroom. Great topic as always. I was going to joke on Twitter the other day…. the angriest bird is “the angry bird”. Lol, was too tired to even write that? And woah to the bird killing humans with their feet. I can’t forget the birds movie. They are vicious sometimes. Great one as always Sue. 💙💙
Isa A. Blogger
https://www.lifestyleprism.com/
Ah, you noticed me in the crowd! I didn’t think anyone would. Actually, the angry bird game gave me the inspiration for this post. There are no robins in the game! Thanks so much, Isa!
love your baby bird photos! You’re so lucky to have the birds build a nest where you could watch them develop. Thanks for sharing your cool pics. And the fun facts.
I agree! This season, the birds built nests in areas that make it far harder to watch the babies. I’m happy you enjoyed the pics and facts! Thank you.