This beautiful male was really feeling his oats.
Yesterday I spent the morning on Antelope Island. I found a few cooperative birds but this male Bullock’s Oriole demonstrated a behavior I’d never photographed before. I’d seen video clips on social media of other species doing it and I’ve seen a couple of birds doing something similar but I was never able to document it with photos. So despite the fact that many of these images are only of documentary quality this bird definitely made my day.
First let me set the stage.
I was looking for birds at Bridger Bay Campground when I noticed a male Bullock’s Oriole perched on the driver’s side mirror of this rental RV in one of the campsites. In order to get good light on the bird I had to pass fairly close to the RV and turn around and by the time I did he had moved to the passenger side mirror where you see him here.
The curtains were closed on the RV so I’m sure the occupants were still asleep (it was 7:13 AM). I never did see any signs of life inside the camper.
This bird was full of piss and vinegar.
He kept trying to look at “that other bird” in the mirror from on top of it.
I mean he really tried!
Obviously he thought his reflection in the mirror was another male oriole and during breeding season he wasn’t happy about having the interloper around.
But his most common behavior was jumping down from the mirror (he really never flew when he did this because he never opened his wings)…
and disappearing behind the passenger door and windshield of the RV. I couldn’t see where he was landing but within just a few seconds he always flew back to the mirror from the same spot where he had disappeared. He did this exact same thing dozens of times while I was there.
This pattern kept repeating itself so I kept getting the same kinds of shots and the damned biting gnats were eating me alive so I decided to leave the oriole and go elsewhere on the island to look for more birds and escape the gnats.
But 30 minutes later I returned to the campground and found him on the windshield wiper of the RV. I suspect he could also see his reflection in the windshield.
But almost immediately he returned to his old antics of jumping down from the mirror…
and disappearing behind the windshield and door but I was finally able to figure out where he always went when he did this.
I’m sure he had been landing on the small ledge where the bottom of the window meets the door. From there he could probably see himself in the very large mirror. He would always stay there for a few seconds and then fly back to the mirror from the same spot on the door. He could probably see himself in flight.
Occasionally he’d attack his reflection directly but he didn’t do this very often and when he did he was always in shade.
Once when he bent over to look at his reflection he leaned over too far and…
nearly fell off the mirror so he had to regain his balance by using his wings.
At this point I left the campground but later I came back a third time and he was still attacking his reflection – this time in both mirrors. But as I was turning my pickup around he flew off and it was getting late in the morning so I headed for home.
This guy really had an attitude. Once I saw a Loggerhead Shrike fly into one of the nearby trees behind the camper and in a flash the oriole was on the attack. He chased the shrike around the tree twice before the shrike turned tail and flew off.
Shrikes often kill and eat other songbirds so most passerines don’t mess with them but this feisty oriole was taking no prisoners.
Ron
Beautiful colors and very sharp, and thanks for your posting. Should be something we could put on so the gnats would leave us along. I just read something about putting on a little Vicks on the face and neck and wrists to help keep the bugs away. I opened a little jar and put it on my table by the laptop and it seem to work. It did start to dry out, so just use it once in a while. lol
It will be interesting to see if there is evidence of a nest, very interesting behaviour. I wonder if part of the behaviour is protection and if some is trying to figure out what that other bird is doing and if it is the same or other. What a great shooting opportunity and a reminder that the early bird gets the worm, for birds and photographers.
Poor bird had a bad day. The look of frustration in its face.
🙂
Hi Ron,
Another interesting post. Down here in The Land of Oz, bird species attacking their reflection is common place. The two most frequently observed species are the Willie Wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys,, Rhipiduridae, and the Magpie-Lark, Grallina cyanoleuca, an aberant monarch. Both are amongst the most often observed bird species in Australia and black and white in colour, but dissimilar in size and habit. Interestingly, they often nest in close proximity.
The Wagtail has the habit of calling through the night on bright nights.
Keep up the goid work.
Interesting about your birds, Gary. I don’t think it’s particularly uncommon here but I’ve only rarely seen it happen.
Brilliant start to my day. My extremely adult self would often like to attack mirrors (for a very different reason).
I hope all that expending of piss and vinegar didn’t tire him out too much.
And that another sneakier oriole wasn’t making the most of its opportunities.
You sound less discouraged today than you have in the recent past, EC. Hope so…
I am. The stinking PC only had to be booted up once this morning rather than five or six times.
Heading off to do voluntary work shortly so a better start to the day (and consequent better mood) is appreciated.
Great shots Ron and very interesting post. Yup very common for males to get their dander up when they think another male is in the immediate vicinity. As far as they are concerned a reflection is the real thing.
I had a male Bluebird that wouldn’t leave my truck alone until I moved it away. So it decided to attack my wife’s car that had been parked next to my truck.
I had wished that the male could have been as aggressive to the Blue Jay when it came and bothered the young as they were leaving their box.
Thanks, Dick. I assume your bluebird was attaching your mirrors…
Oh yes, made an absolute mess of my side view window, partly my fault since I watched him, fully engrossed, making the mess. After awhile I felt the truck was doing more damage to him. But, after I moved the truck he decided to attack the mirror on my wife’s car. Eventually we had to move her car as well. Yup he won, but we didn’t mind at all.
Sorry, not a window, just a mirror!
Excellent series! Your behavioral series just rock! And what a gorgeous bird! I’ve never seen one of those up close and personal, or even far away and impersonal for that matter, so it’s such a delight to see them here. Thank you.
I have to admit that I thought about what a good job of planking he was doing if only for a little bit before opening those lovely (and useful) wings. I know I’d often like to have wings to thwart gravity!
Thanks very much, Laura.
The only bird I’ve seen engaging in this behavior was a male (of course!) Northern Cardinal, many years ago. He was attacking his reflection in a plate glass window. I am amazed at the persistence of this Oriole in pursuing his own reflection. It clearly had to have been fun getting to watch this behavior so extensively, biting gnats aside…
Yup, it was loads of fun, Susan. I wonder how many interesting shots I missed because I was slapping at gnats…
Great shots. I have a song sparrow that attacks my car mirror in my driveway. I could not figure why my mirror was a bird poop mess every day so I sat and watched as I weeded the the driveway strip and sure enough he’d spend the best part of the day attacking my mirror. I have a few photo of the action, but he was very leery of my camera.
I wonder what the people inside the camper would have thought of you taking photos of their camper with a giant lens if they had spotted you? Yikes!
I was careful about that, April. If they’d opened their curtains or I’d seen any sign of life inside the RV I’d have left.
Hate to see what the other guy looked like❗️
Great pictures of this fiesty bird😁
Thanks, Diana.
Too funny Ron. I once saw a Spotted Towhee doing the same thing. Bullocks Orioles are pretty birds. We have them here during the summer, but I have always had a hard time getting a decent photo of one. Only a feathered photographer would have noticed that bird on the RV’s mirror.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Everett, I’m always looking for yellow bundles of feathers when they’re out in the open. Around here that often means either a Bullock’s Oriole or a Western Tanager and for me both species have been very elusive.
Great shots Ron! I’ve seen this behavior with male Eastern Cardinals before but never an Oriole. I recently got an Oriole feeder for our yard. Haven’t had an oriole,but the little downy woodpeckers love it. They eat the grape jelly and the nectar 🤣.
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte. Bullock’s Orioles used to reliably come to my hummingbird feeder but I haven’t seen any there for the last several years.
I also had this experience with the beautiful Bullock’s Orioles that used to come to my hummingbird feeder—long time no see. Interesting post. Thanks Ron.
I’ve experienced this with male Green anoles and the antics are always fun! I’m sure both the oriole and anoles would feel quite embarrassed if they somehow figured out that the rival was just their reflection! By the way, those shots are better than you think, I do quite like them. At least he was definitely doing all that from an exposed perch, something our Orchard orioles seem to never do. Great shots once again Ron!
Thanks, Xavier. I think these images are perfectly good for documentary purposes. I wish I’d been able to maneuver my pickup into a position where I could see him on the door but it was just impossible.
I guess he was feeling his oats keeping at the reflection AND taking on a loggerhead shrike! 🙂 I’ve watch other birds(and young of other species) do this also and it is funny to watch! 🙂 Glad you were able to capture the activity. They are beautiful birds even if their voices can be a bit harsh – blackbird relationship I guess…;)
Judy, It was fun to finally document the behavior (despite the no-see-ums draining all my blood…)