Some birds seem to have their own version of a child’s game, king of the castle. I have watched gulls and geese (the latter only during the mating season) play a game which involves approaching a perched advisory from behind to displace it. (There are other species that seem happy to share a perch.)
A few days ago, I noticed an interspecies version of the game.
A Belted Kingfisher was watching for fish from atop a piling.
Abruptly, it dived over the side.
It was quickly evident that the kingfisher’s departure was a result of a Northern Flicker approaching from behind. Here the ascending flicker is seen on the left while the displaced kingfisher is partly hidden by the piling.
Ha! The avian version of a drawing room comedy?