Tufted Titmouse Attacks a Chickadee!

Why would the tufted titmouse attack the Carolina chickadee? We're not sure. Usually they get along fine. It might have been competition for food. I have noticed that there is a kind of hierarchy in flocks so maybe the chickadee was low in the hierarchy. We saw the chickadee fly away, so hopefully it's okay.

Recorded on 1/31/22.

[bakedandsalty]

I hope the chickadee is OK… poor baby :(

[tylerwinkle]

Looks like it was a low ranking chickadee and got into a high ranking bird's feeder bowl. Notice how the other chickadee chased it off the first bowl on the right.

Unfortunately, the titmouse (high ranking) was not done eating and saw this as a challenge or violation of the hierarchy - usually the titmice and chickadees go together in a flock. So it dealt out some serious punishment. Most of the time it doesn't get this physical, but occasionally it does when either the hierarchical difference is too great or if tempers flare.

[ryansmith]

That chickadee went back on the fence pretending like nothing happened.

[doifhg]

I was wondering why it was so fast with zero movement and I realized the beam was blocking it

[calebn]

Lol when I read the title I expected to see a 🐁 attacking a chickadee 😂😂😂

[Alantheguy]

That cardinal was like "what is going on"

[ellie_melodies_hsdofficial]

Oh dear! Don’t these two birds usually get along pretty well? I love both of them…

[Alantheguy]

"oh so you DARE eat my food"

[alexhytowitz]

The slow motion was insane! Like kids at school ground!

[ShellySimpson-zq]

Poor chickadee they are such sweet little birds.

[wesleywesolowski]

THANKS FOR INFO AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW AFTER 30 YRS OF ACTIVE BIRDWATCHING