Claude Bouchard Books

The word bird does not generally evoke immediate thoughts of violence and aggression. Of course, some, like the mighty eagle and other birds of prey, are known for their strength and hunting abilities but we usually think of birds in terms of soaring, fluttering, chirping, feathery creatures.

I was recently lucky enough to come across a handful of photos of birds in their natural habitat, demonstrating fearless acts of savagery, often against highly unexpected opponents. I would like to share these photos with you and am convinced once you have viewed them, you will never see harmless, little birds in the same way, ever again. Please be advised that some of these photos may be gruesome.

Depicted in the first photo below is a Duck as it aggressively defends its territory from an attacking Panther.

The Tiger in this second photo no doubt wishes it had stayed in its den as it becomes the helpless prey to a couple of bullying Orioles. Note how the Tiger is thrown clear off the ground from the force of the open-winged slap delivered by the Oriole in the forefront.

Our third photo shows a rare stand-off pitting Penguin against Coyote, a violent battle in which the unfortunate Coyote later succumbed to the injuries sustained from the Penguin's razor sharp beak and webbed toes.

Our fourth photo shows us a head-to-head rumble between a sloth of Bears and an unkindness of Ravens. If you're wondering why a group of Ravens is called an unkindness, go ask the Bears.

And finally, it's bird against bird. Definitely not a match up we would ever expect can be seen in the last photo below which shows a flock of angry Cardinals viciously attacking an Eagle as it attempts to flee in vain while a couple of other Eagles flap helplessly in the background.