What kind of medium/large bird lets itself get kicked out of a tree by the little birds?

by Sherry Owens
(Michigan)

Earlier this spring, I noticed two medium to large birds high in my weeping willow tree situated lakeside in Michigan. They were very squawky and seemed to just “fuss” at each other for close to 30 minutes. They went away, and I didn’t see them again until Saturday. I was sitting under the same tree with my neighbor looking at the Oriole Nest that was almost ready to fledge. Suddenly, the entire tree came to life. No less than 10-15 birds (both orioles, blue jays, red winged black birds, robins, purple martins) literally attacked one of these same birds. That bird came into the tree and all the parents with babies and/or eggs in nests in that “neighborhood” lost their minds. It looked like a dog fight scene from Top Gun. Once the poor bird got out of the tree, I think the dads kept chasing it till they were all out of sight while the moms went back on the nest. The shrieking didn’t stop until well after the bird was gone. I have never seen anything like that.

The birds were around the size of a mourning dove, and had grey/white feathers with no really distinct markings (it was running for its life, so I didn’t get a good look) but kind of mottled. Anyone want to take a guess? I have to assume it either steals eggs or chicks based on the way they all reacted

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Jul 26, 2012

Could have been a blue jay
by: Anonymous

Could have been a blue Jay. When you see them flying you can't really see the blue, all you see is the white gray and black markings. Jays steal eggs and kill baby birds and are not tolerated by other birds. Cowbirds (females are all brown and males are black with brown heads)lay their eggs in other birds nests, but don't typically attack the nests so rarely get chased away)

Jun 11, 2012

Cowbird
by: Susan

The female cowbird shirks every motherly duty, sneaking about the wood, slyly watching her chance to lay an egg in the cradle of some other bird, since she never makes a nest of her own.

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