Here in Texas, I am extremely lucky to have the Starship parked right next to a huge Texas cedar. They really are a juniper (Ashe), but have always been known as a Texas or mountain cedar. It is a female and laden with many thousands of purple bitter sweet berries.
The immediate area has been claimed by a mockingbird who mercilessly attacks every robin that invades the restricted territory which he has staked out as his own individual domain. Mockingbirds are the state bird of Texas and thier belligerency is well known, including attacks on rattlesnakes!
Hundreds of robins are trying to feed on the juniper berries, and the mockingbird relentlessly chases them all away. I find the behavior unusual as there are more berries than any one bird can eat. Also strange is that the mockingbird will allow some other birds to have a free meal at his cedar diner, but no robins allowed!
Is this prejudice or profiling showing its ugly head in the avairy world? I don't think so. The more I watch them, it appears allowed birds are smaller, maybe the threat assessment is less compared to the thick bellied robins who are more his size. What do you think?
Pictured are juniper berries, mockingbird, robin, cedar waxwing, and a cute yellow rumped warbler.
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