[obol] Ridgefield NWR: Amazing DOWNY WP Courtship Display!!

[Bill Clemons]

I received the below informative lesson from Jeff Kozma in Yakama, WA.  It was also posted on Tweeters, but not OBOL, so I am taking the liberty of passing the lesson along for OBOL.

Thanks Jeff,

Bill Clemons
SW of Portland in Mtn Park
willclemons AT Yahoo dot com
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From: Jeff Kozma <jcr_5105 at charter.net>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Ridgefield NWR: Amazing DOWNY WP Courtship Display!!
To: willclemons at yahoo.com, "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 7:00 AM

Hi Bill,
 
What you were observing was actually an aggressive display/territorial 
dispute.  I have observed this in Hairy and White-headed Woodpeckers and 
Northern Flickers.  The females are not displaying to the male, but one 
female is actually trying to displace and drive off the  intruder female. 
Also, these seem to sex specific.  The male will not try to drive off an 
intruding female, only an intruding male.  Same thing with females only 
driving off females.  The attempt to drive off an intruding bird always 
consists of these postures you described and rarely if ever result in direct contact fights.  Sometimes these interactions can go on for
over 30 minutes until the intruder gives up and is driven away.
 
 Jeff Kozma
 Yakima
 
 jcr underscore 5105 @ charter dot net.