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View allAll Photos Tagged Dominance
these Burchell's Zebras are playing but at the same time also seeking dominance
Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
plains zebra or common zebra
equus quagga ( formerly known as equus burchellii )
zebra of steppezebra
zèbre des plaines ou zèbre commun
Steppenzebra
All rights reserved. ButsFons©2018
Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.
A couple male Prairie Chickens fight out for dominance to select their future spouse.
Have a Great Weekend!
(couldn't resist posting another prairie chicken sparring shot)
This was from the morning gathering at the lek* - these are Lesser Prairie Chickens (they don't have as much brown in them). They share territory in some areas.
*A Lek is a hill/or rise area where birds and animals gather to do their courting and sparking!
Badlands, South Dakota. This - judging by his behaviour and his poses - was more of a ham, than a ram! Magnificent beast!
Juvenile going 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull lording it over the Black-headed Gulls at a bread handout. Much discussion about the species of this gull as there juveniles/first winters are notoriously difficult. The darker appearance and lack of heavy scalloping on the tertials probably point to LBB but they are very variable.
The razorbill is a medium-sized seabird. It is black above and white below. It has a thick black beak which is deep and blunt, unlike the thinner bill of the similar guillemot. It breeds around the coast of the UK, with the largest colonies in northern Scotland. There are none breeding between the Humber and the Isle of Wight. Birds only come to shore to breed and winter in the northern Atlantic.
Taken at Bempton Cliffs, Flamborough Head, North Yorkshire
"DOMINANCE!" Harris's Hawks
©R.C. Clark: Dancing Snake Nature Photography
All rights reserved - Raptor Free Flight - Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
*Peace*Love*Conservation, #canonphotography
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These White Storks were taking turns at the top of a Pine Tree asserting their dominance at the start of breeding season.
This image was hard to expose properly for both birds as one is in shadow and one is not. Yet the action was good enough that I decided to post it.
Taken in Silves Portugal.
-Ciconia ciconia
Dominance and hierarchy., otherwise known as the Pecking Order
This young Gannet is getting a lesson in it., and in a few years it'll no doubt be dishing it out lessons of it's own
It's the way of the world and the reason every species in the world has evolved to what it has today
Aks Darwin
A mob of European Starlings, like the juvenile atop the feeder in the picture, claimed my backyard and the neighbor's yard. Starlings squeaked , fought with each other and chased every living thing from the yard. Eventually, "my hero", a single hungry Blue Jay, one of my favorite birds, cleared the yard of Starlings. They all went to my neighbor's yard hahaha.
Miyama Park (美山公園) is located on a hill overlooking the urban centre of Itoigawa city (糸魚川市) to the north. The park includes an archaeological site of the mid Joumon Period (5,000 - 3,500 B.C.) that produced jade wares and a museum for the UNESCO designated Itoigawa Geopark. The park is also planted with a huge number of cherry trees.
Cherry tree in the right is Ooshima (大島桜), a cherry species endemic to Japan. It sprouts leaves as it blooms. It grows fast on any soils and had been grown for firewood rather than for flowers.
Another cherry tree in the left is Somei-yoshino (染井吉野) that is a hybrid between Ooshima and Edo-higan (江戸彼岸桜), another endemic cherry species. It sprouts leaves after flowers fade, which is a reason for its popularity and dominance in the parks.
Edo-higan also blooms before sprouting leaves but requires many years to start blooming. It grows slow but tends to live long to become a giant lone tree.
The water tank in the photo is the symbol of the park due to its special role as a viewing deck of flowers and surrounding landscape.
not too sure really, it looked like it to me at first but after 5 or 10 minutes of this they walked side by side as if they were friends and then a few minutes later started chasing each other around again...we watched them for close on 40 minutes and each time I was wondering are they friends fooling around or male dominance display...
Karoo national park, South Africa
There is an unending competition between some of the birds who visit my yard, some come for the food, others want to control access to the food. Over the years control has passed between the species, and at times I have intervened to keep the peace.
Butcher birds, the bird closest to the camera in this shot, moved in at one time and drove away almost every bird who visited my yard. They perched on my roof, and the neighbours' roofs, and mounted a co-ordinated, multipronged attack on any bird who entered. They had all the food for themselves. They even posted a guard on the food dish to make sure no other bird got anything to eat.
When Rainbow Lorikeets came to visit after the fires last year, I put out fruit and seeds for them. Not food Butcher birds eat, so I expected they would co-exist. Not so, the Butcher birds were not happy. The Lorikeets stood up to the Butch birds, and ate the Butcher birds' food as well as their fruit and seeds. Now the Lorikeets rule the roost, any bird can visit, so long as they don't want the fruit and seeds.
And still the competition for yard dominance continues. In this shot the alpha Butcher bird provocatively sits on a chair overlooking the Lorikeets' feed dish. It's an uneasy peace, the Lorikeets have superior numbers, they stand their ground, raise their right feet and thrust their talons towards their adversaries. It's very intimidating and they have the Butcher birds well and truly bluffed.
Meanwhile up to a dozen different species come to feed, if not every day, at least regularly. I keep the peace and make sure that every bird gets something to eat, and it's amazing to see how they negotiate among themselves to share the space and the food.
Red Squirrel - Sciurus Vulgaris
Highlands, Scotland.
The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands. The squirrel makes a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, several red squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies within and between sexes; although males are not necessarily dominant to females, the dominant animals tend to be larger and older than subordinate animals, and dominant males tend to have larger home ranges than subordinate males or females.
Red squirrels that survive their first winter have a life expectancy of 3 years. Individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to availability of autumn–winter tree seeds; on average, 75–85% of juveniles die during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.
Although not thought to be under any threat worldwide, the red squirrel has nevertheless drastically reduced in number in the United Kingdom; especially after the grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 1870s. Fewer than 140,000 individuals are thought to be left in 2013; approximately 85% of which are in Scotland, with the Isle of Wight being the largest haven in England. A local charity, the Wight Squirrel Project,[26] supports red squirrel conservation on the island, and islanders are actively recommended to report any invasive greys. The population decrease in Britain is often ascribed to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America, but the loss and fragmentation of its native woodland habitat has also played a role.
In January 1998, eradication of the non-native North American grey squirrel began on the North Wales island of Anglesey. This facilitated the natural recovery of the small remnant red squirrel population. It was followed by the successful reintroduction of the red squirrel into the pine stands of Newborough Forest. Subsequent reintroductions into broadleaved woodland followed and today the island has the single largest red squirrel population in Wales. Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour is also populated exclusively by red rather than grey squirrels (approximately 200 individuals).
The grit stone rocky top of Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge in the Peak District National Park Derbyshire England
Infrared IR720 Canon converted
Full moon rise with Saturn and Jupiter (with moons), Mühldorf, Bavaria, Germany
Planetenkonstellation_04
Salmon fishing in Alaska many times is about prime fishing holes. That's true whether it's the human fishermen all lined up in a "combat" fishing situation ... and it's the same with the brown bears. It's so much fun to watch them as they take their favorite spots. Of course, these spots are determined by dominance. However there are times when the dominant bear is not in their spot .... so at that point, all dibs are off. Until of course, when they return ... then the squaring off ensues. It begins with the head hanging and slow approach of the "owner" bear and the nervous anticipation of the "invader" bear. Then low growls and mouthing continues and eventually it ends up being loud growls and teeth baring ... stand-up wrestling is also common. Most times the confrontation is quick because bears for the most part know their own place in hierarchy, though challengers are part of the learning process. Sometimes life lessons are inflicted and injury results ... a slash from the opposing bear's claws, a chunk of meat bitten into ... thankfully I have not witnessed worse in person.
I just love to watch these amazing bears ... and hope you like seeing images of them too.
Happy Friday!
© Debbie Tubridy Photography
The same two juvenile elk from the previous photo. It was interesting to watch them grazing, and then stopping to lock up. It, like I said, was very likely them playing. No other individuals were around the area, so in all likelihood they were just getting a feel for the locking up and battling, they broke apart a moment later and kept grazing side by side.
ISO: 400
Aperture: f4
SS: 1/60
Focal 155
This was taken with my 50-140 with a 1.4 Teleconverter.
I'm not sure what's going on with this behavior. The perched osprey is the juvenile which has just begun its first short flights from the nest. I believe the osprey on top is the male which landed on the juvenile's back, no damage done. My theory is that it is a show of dominance, possibly a prelude to "encouraging" the juvenile to head off into the world on its own. That said, the adults paid close attention to the juveniles first flights and were, of course, still providing it with fish. This was an "only chick", somewhat unusual for osprey which usually have 2 and more often 3 or more chicks. (Pandion haliaetus)
Okavango Delta
Botswana
Southern Africa
You can still see the placenta attached to the mother.
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. It is the sole member of the genus Aepyceros. Two subspecies are recognised—the common impala, and the larger and darker, black-faced impala.
Active mainly during the day, the impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. Three distinct social groups can be observed: the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy.
Browsers as well as grazers, impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods. An annual, three-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance, and the victorious male courts female in oestrus. A single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for four to six months; young males—forced out of the all-female groups—join bachelor herds, while females may stay back.
The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water. The common impala is widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa. The (IUCN) classifies the impala as a species of least concern. – Wikipedia
Prince Albert National Park
Saskatchewan, Canada
Thanks to all who view, comment or mark as a favorite. It really is appreciated (-:
Doing one of its display behaviors, they do this to show dominance and or territorial issues. They are very social and move around in fairly large groups but even then there is a pecking order. Caracara cheriway
#52 Weeks: the 2022 edition
#Week 15: Black and white landscape
An oblique aerial view of the entrance/exit to Baragoot Lake, an estuarine lagoon on the NSW Far South Coast. The character of the connection with the sea is an expression of three variables: fresh water discharge from the land; wave power; and tidal forces. The entrance is usually closed at this site due to the dominance of the waves that readily construct a sandy barrier beach. However, after persistent and heavy rainfall, that barrier can be broached by freshwater outflow, with tidal currents then able to maintain an open channel until wave power becomes dominant again.
Male European red deer have a distinctive roar during the rut, which is an adaptation to forested environments, in contrast to male American elk stags which "bugle" during the rut in adaptation to open environments. The male deer roars to keep his harem of females together. The females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and have the loudest roar call. Males also use the roar call when competing with other males for females during the rut, and along with other forms of posturing and antler fights, is a method used by the males to establish dominance.[11] Roaring is most common during the early dawn and late evening, which is also when the crepuscular deer are most active in general.
Samburu National Reserve
Kenya
Ewaso Ng'iro River
Click on Image To Enlarge.
Two male reticulated giraffes in battle with each other trying to determine dominance. Later they will be fighting each other for females, but not now. This battle also called necking took place on the edge of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya.
In the middle of the reserve, the Ewaso Ng'iro flows through doum palm groves and thick riverine forests. It provides water, without which the game in this arid region could not survive.
Okavango Delta
Botswana
Southern Africa
The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. It is the sole member of the genus Aepyceros. Two subspecies are recognised—the common impala, and the larger and darker, black-faced impala.
Active mainly during the day, the impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. Three distinct social groups can be observed: the territorial males, bachelor herds and female herds. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy.
Browsers as well as grazers, impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods. An annual, three-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance, and the victorious male courts female in oestrus. A single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for four to six months; young males—forced out of the all-female groups—join bachelor herds, while females may stay back.
The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface (ecotone) between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water. The common impala is widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa. The (IUCN) classifies the impala as a species of least concern. – Wikipedia
A couple of African antelope males fight each other for dominance! Taken at San Diego Safari Zoo, CA.
(tough way to win a lady's heart by butting heads!)
low intensity necking within a small group of male giraffes in a bid to win dominance over each other, during an early morning encounter in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Male greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) of the grouse family (Phasianidae) vying for dominance in the mating lek in a managed prairie in south-central Illinois.
Once common on the Great Plains, the population of the greater prairie chicken has sharply declined due to the conversion of natural prairies to agricultural land. With the population still in decline, the species is considered vulnerable. Numerous initiatives are attempting to provide suitable habitat and stimulate population growth. The birds in this shot are from such an initiative in south-central Illinois.
Shot from a tripod inside a blind
Camera: Pentax K5
Lens: Sigma 150-500mm
Focal length: 500mm
Shutter speed: 1/1000
Aperture: ƒ/6.3
ISO: 800
IMGP8556.m