Heya Tweets,

While viewing the Snowy Owl at Mann Lake, we saw a really
interesting "Wild Kingdom"-type event. There was a flock o' pheasants
(probably as many as 50) that were bobbing their way into the road or
bobbing their way along a ridge getting ready to bob into the road (you
know pheasants...) As they began to walk along the ridge, the brush seemed
almost to boil with their goofy little heads sticking up everywhere.
Suddenly, a female harrier entered the area and began to fly
slowly along the ridge where the pheasants were. She pulled up a bit and
then slowed her flight considerably, extending her legs to "bounce" on the
heads of the pheasants. They didn't seem to bothered by this. They
continued to march along, the males seemed to almost thrust their heads up
at the harrier when it approached.
She continued her rounds, stopping every five feet or so to bounce
off a pheasant head and continue on. The pheasants never showed any
outright sign of fear, didn't do the groundbird "freeze" thing, and
carried on as normal. Until the Snowy landed nearby, which caused (all
ethologists forgive my connection here, please) them to fly up in a
torrent of wing-flapping and "coughing".
Is this sort of laissez-faire approach to harriers common among
pheasants? Were they just playing "leap-pheasant"? If so, did the Snowy
play too rough the last time?? :)


-Pat
scott931 at uidaho.edu