The moment a kookaburra is bombarded by two willie wagtails is a comical show of character. Landing on the branch of a eucalyptus tree in Sydney, Australia, the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) was not a welcome visitor. He may have just been going about his business looking for a tasty lizard or snake, but for the territorial willie wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys), it was better safe than sorry. Swooping in on the kookaburra, one either side, the far-smaller birds squawked at maximum volume in an attempt to harass the intruder out of their area. But the kookaburra—which is many times larger—is a patient fellow. Australian nature photographer Martin Anderson, 45, who came upon the scene, describes what happened next: “To escalate things, the wagtails started swooping in at speed, taking turns flying in faster and closer each time.” The kookaburra’s only reaction was to blink. “Becoming frustrated, the wagtails decided to get physical,” said …
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