In an attempt to steal a fish, pelican nearly swallows a cormorant

In an attempt to steal a fish, pelican nearly swallows a cormorant
A pelican tries to steal a cormorant’s fish. (© Tony’s Takes)

A very fun sequence of pics that I took a few months ago but never shared. The American white pelicans were just returning to Colorado for the season and a bunch were hanging out at a local pond with the double-crested cormorants. After their long flight, all were very hungry and looking hard for a meal.

Any bird that caught a fish was soon besieged by the entire group as they looked to horn in on the action. At one point, the pelicans and cormorants congregated in one corner of the pond to fish. A cormorant caught itself a little shad and that was enough to catch one pelican’s attention.

The bigger bird’s attempt to steal the fish resulted in it’s monstrous beak entirely enveloping the cormorants head! I don’t know that either ended up with the fish but it certainly had to be a traumatic event for the cormorant. 😉

A pelican tries to steal a cormorant's fish. (© Tony's Takes)
A pelican tries to steal a cormorant’s fish. (© Tony’s Takes)
A pelican tries to steal a cormorant's fish. (© Tony's Takes)
A pelican tries to steal a cormorant’s fish. (© Tony’s Takes)
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