Pied-billed Grebes are both pugnacious and gluttonous and it’s not unusual for them to capture and attempt to swallow prey that is marginally too big to go down the hatch, which can lead to some interesting and amusing behaviors at feeding time.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
I was amazed that this adult grebe even attempted to deal with a fish this size. Pied-billed Grebes are highly kleptoparasitic and there were other grebes nearby so this bird knew it had a problem…
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
which was how to swallow the oversized fish before other birds tried to steal it. So the grebe immediately attempted to scurry away from the others and swallow the fish before the rest of them moved in.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
They chased “him” around for a while but this time there weren’t any actual fights over the fish. The other grebes seemed to sense that the fish was too big…
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
and eventually they just sat back and watched the attempt at gluttony. Perhaps they were in the mood to be amused…
1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
After a couple of minutes the bird seemed to accept defeat and just swam around with the fish sticking out of its craw without making any more serious swallowing attempts but it simply could not bring itself to give up on the prize completely, at least for a while.
As far as I know the grebe never enjoyed this particular meal.
Ron
Note – I’ve previously posted several other images from this session.
Love it!
Charlotte
Owwww!! Considering the direction the spines of the dorsal fin go in, is it possible the silly bird could neither swallow nor disgorge that sunny…or whatever kind of fish it is?
I don’t know, Patty. I’m virtually positive the fish was a young carp (almost the only fish available there) and I’m not sure if that species has stiff dorsal spines or not.
Absolutely hilarious, although I’m sure it was painful for the bird. It’s just amazing what you can capture on camera.
Thanks very much, Susan.
Many thanks for posting these shots. They are wonderful examples of behavior, especially this grebe’s behavior. I’ve always thought that when I see a dead fish in a pond or lake was due to pollution, or a fisherman, but maybe could it be due to a Grebe’s or other birds inability to swallow?
I never thought of that, Dick – you ‘re right, sometimes maybe it is a fish that couldn’t be swallowed.
I haven’t heard that phrase in a looong time, It was one my father often used. Thank you for the reminder. And oh, that bird took greed to extremes. A wonderful sequence – and thank you so much.
I guess I’m “old school”, Elephant’s Child. I often use dated phrases like that and actually consciously avoid using some of the newer ones. I don’t mind at all being a bit of a “dinosaur”…
Glad you enjoyed the reminder. My father used this one, also.
How weird! It looks rather painful if you ask me. I’ve never really got to see one eat a fish. I usually just see them dive & come back up presumably with a fish already swallowed. Very neat pics. Thank you.
Deb, I was actually concerned the grebe might choke. Swallowing a fish underwater is a strategy they often use to avoid competition from other birds but that assumes the fish is small enough to be swallowed quickly. This bird had no choice but to make the attempt on the surface.
Very cool Ron!
Thank you, Steve.