Swan Gang 'Murder'

[GliderRider]

Walking the dog round the millpond today, there were two swans in shallow water behaving oddly.

On closer inspection, one was standing on the inverted body of another swan under water, whilst the second one kept packing at the tongue of the, presumably, drowned swan.

I've read that swans will kill rivals, but is this normally one on one, or is it common for them to gang up like this?

[ReverendCounter]

As you pointed out it's normally swan on swan.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Saw the same with magpies this morning. One on it's back trying to defend itself whilst 2 others were trying to kill it. Being the big softy I am, I walked towards them and the culprits flew off in one direction, and the victim flew off in the other.

[Easternlight]

Sitting by a river once and a swan swam into view, then from the other direction a mother duck with about a dozen young in tow.
The swan immediatly headed over to the ducklings and drowned every one! nothing the mother duck could do given the size.

“Mother nature is a brutal bh, red in tooth and claw, who destroys what she creates.”

[ali_kat]

I watched in horror as a male mallard drowned ducklings in front of the mother. I couldn’t get off the bridge down to help her without killing myself in the process - I cried for the rest of the day

[HappyMidget]

Swans are evil vicious bds, and I guess that the resident male and female were dealing with an interloper on their territory.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

HappyMidget said:

Swans are evil vicious bds, and I guess that the resident male and female were dealing with an interloper on their territory.

They are big softies compared to robins. Scum of the Earth sky.