Little Brandein is a bit of a "Waianae Tita" or better yet a priveleged, spoiled, Maunawili Shama Princess. Yesterday on the balcony she was so peeved that Scruffy, the Red-Vented Bulbul dared to land on the balcony to share in the repast. Previously the Bulbuls would harass the chicks and often chase them away if we were not there to intervene. Yesterday, Brandein was not about to put up with a twice-her size ruffian looking bird and took him on! She went at him. Don will hopefully describe this in detail as I was not there so this is just a brief description.
Brandein charged Scruffy, mouth open and threatening him. Instead of fighting back he did what can only be interpreted as submissive behavior! He put his head down, wiggled his wings, and waggled his tongue. Dogs do submissive cues to convey to another dog that they are not a threat so let's get along. Humans too. It is not surprising, really, that birds too have intraspecies communication to de escalate fights. Nevertheless it did surprise us and is fascinating. We humans are very limited in our understanding that other forms of animals are not, in many ways, very different from us. Yes, birds have traits that differ from mammals and, as tiny dinosaurs, see the world differently and yet.. and yet..
So by capitulating to her, he won her over and she backed off and both got to have a snack.
If she is good at threats and recognizing cues and what they mean, Brandein may actually make it into adulthood with her own territory. On the other hand if all she got out of this is that she can threaten and win, we hope she waits until she is much older than Hawkie was when she fought for dominance out in the world after she left our territory. She came back to us looking very beat up and may not have survived her warrior lust. Maunawili is saturated with Shamas so the kids have a hard time trying to usurp the established pairs.
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