A species I rarely see in serious fights and this one was a knock-down, drag-out.
- I’ve been posting more older photos than usual lately because we’re in what I call the ‘bird doldrums’. Birds are slow right now.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
In early August of 2014 I was photographing other birds on the water at Bear River MBR when these two White-faced Ibises began to fight. I hadn’t been watching them so I don’t know what instigated their dust-up but whatever it was they both took it seriously. Among other fighting techniques they were using their long decurved bills as weapons and slapping each other with their wings.
They brawled for long enough for me to get 22 photos of the action. These are two of them that I’ve never posted before.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Most of the physical contact occurred while they were in the water but they did a lot of posturing while they were airborne after they both repeatedly jumped straight up into the air. They reminded me a little of ‘dancing’ Sandhill Cranes.
A different crop of the previous photo includes part of their reflections and I think gives us a better appreciation for how far they were jumping out of the water. The fight ended when the ibis on the left eventually conceded defeat and left the area.
The intensity of the fight surprised me. White-faced Ibises are highly gregarious and generally tolerate each other well, even when feeding very close to each other in large groups. Cornell’s Birds of the World makes a point of their general peacefulness by saying “foraging birds feed close together and usually tolerate one another with little or no aggression, even when they bump into one another.”
One or both of these birds must have been having a bad day.
Ron
This is my favorite water bird, I love seeing them. You have captured their beauty and their mood.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Janice.
WHAT an amazing thing to see – and to capture.
I am fascinated by the metallic sheen to their feathers and that prodigious leap.
Is it wrong of me to say that a part of me is glad that you are in the bird doldrums?
Thanks, EC. I wouldn’t say it’s wrong of you but I wish I wasn’t.
I wish you weren’t too – but do love the treasures you unearth from your archives.
I so agree! They are truly treasures.
Gorgeous wing colors! The reflection is wonderful! Agree your archives are a treasure chest !
Thank you, Kathleen.
More photos from what you would call your archives and I would call a treasure chest.
The feather colors remind me of copper and verdigris, or some alien metallic battle armor. Actually, I think they are aliens, which would explain that what is being called jumps and leaps is really levitation.
“Actually, I think they are aliens”
They’re pretty weird birds, Lyle. Funny looking bill, unusual iridescent colors and one of the common sounds they make sounds like a grunting pig. When I hear it I often think of Pink Floyd and Pigs on the Wing.
Reminds me of the Maasai and their “jumping dance”!
I had no idea Ibis would do this. Thanks for yet another lesson!
“Reminds me of the Maasai and their “jumping dance”
You’re right, they are pretty similar.
Extraordinary— Their “thigh” muscles must be SO POWERFUL to support
such leaps ; their lower legs are little besides bone and tendon ? I’m glad
that you were there to capture this encounter– I don’t think I’d have believed
it without seeing it !
Thank you, Kris.
That is very interesting. I have taken at least a couple hundred photos of them during their seasons here and have never seen them fighting. I have seen lots of bumping and pushing regarding space, but never fighting. The seemingly effortless jumping is especially interesting. Sometimes we have groups of twenty to thirty and it has always been neat to me to see the whole group suddenly lift up together and move to another spot close by.
Everett, as fear as I can remember this was the only serious ibis fight I’ve ever seen.
Great captures!
Thanks, Bruce.
WOW! Great capture of the action! 🙂 I’ve only seen a few once at a distance and had to come home to look up what they were…. 😉 These certainly were “stretched out” in their jumps and have quite a wing span. Beautiful birds. 🙂
Judy, they’re one of our most common shorebirds around here. We’re lucky in that way.
Lovely series, very “painting”-like. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Elmer.
Wow! Fascinating, you got to witness and record this! Were they squawking or making any noise? Thx U for sharing Ron.
Thanks, Terri. To be honest I can’t remember if they were noisy during the fight but I’d be surprised if they weren’t.