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If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 14:04 - Dec 7 by Stu_Magoo
I've always been sure the whole "Swan-breaks-arm" scenario is an urban myth, peddled by parents as it was peddled by their parents before them.
Does anyone actually know someone who has had a bone broken by a marauding swan?
Never happened to me (and never heard of it happening to any fellow rescuers), but then again we're trained how to catch swans safely! Might get the odd bruise or scratch, but no broken bones.
I've had worse damage done to me from Coot and Moorhen bites
If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 11:02 - Dec 7 by Portmanteauxcurling
What about if the birdy ones were to play each other at Subbuteo ?
(See what I did there ? Might need BlueBoots to help out with that one )
I'd vote for the Magpies; the entire crow family have an incredible capacity for problem solving - I think if you rigged the Subbuteo goals so that when the ball hits the net a little drawer opens next to the pitch with peanuts in it, wouldn't take them long to learn how to play
If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 14:27 - Dec 7 by BlueBoots
I'd vote for the Magpies; the entire crow family have an incredible capacity for problem solving - I think if you rigged the Subbuteo goals so that when the ball hits the net a little drawer opens next to the pitch with peanuts in it, wouldn't take them long to learn how to play
I think you're absolutely right with your suggestion of the Magpies* but did you get that the reason I brought up the subject of Subbuteo was because of the footy/bird connection ( I thought that was going to be the bit that you would need to help out with) ?
* if a Magpie catches bird flu, should it be known as Corvid-19 ?
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If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 18:08 - Dec 7 with 604 views
If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 08:11 - Dec 7 by BlueBoots
If we're going with just birds and English clubs, here's the rundown...
The Owls - Yep, top of the list, based on strength and speed to its relative size. Silent assassins - if you're prey, you're caught before you know it, and unlike some of the birds on this list you then get ripped apart rather than swallowed whole. Take a look on YouTube at videos of them defending their nests from other birds too. The Eagles - Pretty straighforward; dirty great bird of prey. The Magpies - High on the list due to their craftiness. More likely to let another bird do the hard work and scavenge after, but quite capable of predating too if it's in the mood. The Seagulls - low down the list as that will cover every everything from pretty harmless Black-headed Gulls. If we're talking Great Black-backed Gulls, they are right up there with the Eagles, but as they usually swallow their prey whole a quicker death than being torn apart by a raptor. The Swans - most are pretty placid and mild-mannered, so this high purely on size and strength; you do get very aggressive males in breeding pairs who will go around killing the young of other swans / geese (and even their parents sometimes) defending his territory. The Robins - surprisingly territorial, but they usually defend that by singing rather than fighting. The Bluebirds - Soft as sh1te. The Canaries - Not even a wild bird anymore; can just about beat a Budgie in a fight. The Bantams - Can't even fly to avoid ending up on someone's dinner plate.
If we're including nicknames of football clubs around the world, honourable mentions for Inter Miami (The Herons - my least favourite bird to rescue...those beaks are a serious weapon) and as Elkan Baggott can no doubt tell you, the overall winner is Indonesian Liga 3 side Persiss Sorong, who are nicknamed the Blue Cassowary.
[Post edited 7 Dec 2023 8:15]
You sound like you have experience of rescuing herons. My Dad was a veterinarian and brought one home with a broken wing to look after at one point. He had already taped its beak shut but as he went to get it out of the car it came pretty close to having his eye out.
If real Swans played football they would obviously beat most other on 18:08 - Dec 7 by Nthsuffolkblue
You sound like you have experience of rescuing herons. My Dad was a veterinarian and brought one home with a broken wing to look after at one point. He had already taped its beak shut but as he went to get it out of the car it came pretty close to having his eye out.
Yep...mainly rescue waterbirds, so the odd heron; sick or injured, or young ones that aren't great at flying yet and end up in unusual places. Taping the beak shut is the first move, but they're still likely to lunge at you; seen them in the wild sharpening their beaks on rocks the way you would a knife on a whetstone Luckily they're surprisingly light, so at least that part of the carrying is easy.
Fair play to your dad for taking the fella in; always a struggle to find vets who are wildlife friendly, and even more difficult with birds since the Avian Flu outbreak last year.
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Luckily they're surprisingly light, so at least that part of the carrying is easy.