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Thread: Moorhen attacking a Water Rail

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Default Moorhen attacking a Water Rail

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    f/6.3
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    ISO 1250

    I was waiting to take images of a Water Rail, which is very elusive in Fife, Scotland. I knew this bird had been seen on a few occasions at the location where I was. After waiting for almost three hours the Water Rail never showed, so, I started to take images of ducks on the loch nearby. Then, all of a sudden the bird made an appearance. I immediately started to get my camera set up for the location the bird was at, when, from out of the undergrowth, this moorhen jumped onto the back of the water rail and violently attacked it. At first, I thought it was a Sparrowhawk. I have never seen, nor heard of this behaviour before. I apologise in advance for the condition of the attached image, but due to the circumstances it was the best I could capture at the time. Has anyone heard of this behaviour between these two birds.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Interesting action nicely framed but the impossible lighting conditions left the subjects too dark with the sparkling highlights too bright....
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    Great behavior captured!! Amazing what happens out there sometimes!

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    the action was great but the conditions were not favorable for photography unfortunately
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    Never heard of this behaviour before between these two species! Very nice documentation of what you saw, but I agree that artistically the conditions were not favourable. Thanks for sharing, quite intriguing.

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Thanks guys for the comments. I never got my picture of the water rail, but there will be other times when I will hopefully see one again. I don't think I will ever see this behaviour again though

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    Hi William
    As I originally hail from across the water from you @ Musselburgh I am really interested in your posts.
    Very interesting behaviour and I wonder whether a touch of contrast could be worth looking at.
    Got out my 1982 copy of Collins British Birds and see the Moorhen can be aggressive to its own kind ( Page 158), and also eggs laid in mid- March so could be a territorial thing.
    Cheers : Ian Mc

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Thanks for that Ian. Apparently, Water Rail will eat young moorhen and their eggs, so I suppose there is a wee bit of aggression between the two birds. I reckon, if I never shouted out at them, the moorhen may well have killed the Water Rail It had the Water Rail's head buried in the mud, as it stood on top of it and was furiously stabbing at it.

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