When birds attack

[birdbrain]

I've had quite a few surprises in my years watching wild birds. One of these was when fishing up Harperrig reservoir in the Lothians. I saw a carrion crow attack, kill, then proceed to eat a perfectly healthy, unsuspecting, black-headed gull. The gull was a juvenile, although fully grown. I know crows are notorious opportunists but never imagined it would take on prey this size. Has anyone else had similar experiences or saw 'seemingly' uncharacteristic behavior in wild birds during their observations?

[Bishopswood]

A few years ago while we were on holiday in Cornwall my sister-in-law threw out some bread for the birds. A variety of birds quickly appeared and suddenly a black headed gull turned to the blackbird next to it, killed it and proceeded to eat it. She still dislikes gulls!

[Steve_G]

Maybe Birdbrains 'Crow' was actually that Blackbirds son? Having spent the intervening years pumping steroids and practising martial arts. Now it'd tracked down the son of it's fathers murderer; And exacted its just vengeance!

[Roy Neher Wildlife]

A flock of crows is called a "murder of crows". I heard them screaming in my yard one day and found a Barred Owl, which is a very large bird, being beaten to death by them. The poor thing's eyes are in the front of it's head and it never saw them coming as they swooped in and hit it from behind with their wing shoulders and beaks. At one point, the owl was on the ground and I tried to rescue it but, it got away and went back up into the tree to meet it's fate. Very disturbing to watch, I could have done without it.