Purple Martins Kicking Eastern Kingbird Heinie

[Matthew Winks]

I witnessed some interesting bird behavior the other day.  Purple Martins have been using the new martin houses JWP Audubon put up at White Oak Park in Bloomimgton this summer.  Recently a family of Eastern Kingbirds have been hanging around the creek south of the lake there.  I must say that previously I had never seen an Eastern Kingbird be roughed up by any other species.  Well one Eastern Kingbird decided to fly a little to close the martin houses or the Purple Martin's territory and was promptly pummeled by two adult male Purple Martins and escorted out of the territory.  I was alerted to this ruckus by the hideous clamoring of the Eastern Kingbird.  The bird was screaming bloody murder, but none of it's brethren were coming to assist.  It flew just far enough out of the territory where it was left alone and looked back with a what the hell just happened stare.  It tried to fly through the area a couple more times and was completely manhandled by the Purple Martins in similar fashion.  It was obvious the martins are both superior aerialists and simply brawnier than the kingbird.

Matthew Winks
El Paso, IL

---

The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy.