by Leslie Cox; Friday; May 15, 2020

There is a young bald eagle which lives in our neighbourhood. Its white head feathers are just starting to come in so it is only 2, coming up 3 years old. At this time of year, the other birds are on high alert because the eagle has been coming too close to their nests filled with youngsters. It is quite impressive to see one or two small birds chase off an eagle. Had one Brewer’s blackbird doing just that this afternoon. 

Imagine a small blackbird who is only 9 inches (22.9 cm) tall, weighs a mere 2.2 oz (63 g) and has a wingspan of 14.7 inches (37 cm) being capable of chasing off an eagle who is 40 inches (101.6 cm) tall, weighs a massive 13.9 lb (6.3 kg) and has a wingspan of 7.6 ft (2.3 m).

Earlier this week, two Brewer’s blackbirds put the run on a great blue heron and that heron was really moving as it tried to get away.

Goes to show there is no parent more ferocious than one who is defending its young…no matter the size difference.