Brave bird attacks a snake twice its size whilst trying to stay away from the snake’s highly venomous fangs. Will the risk be worth it for the bird or not?
It was a sunny day, and I was taking a group of tourists out on a morning drive when I spotted the commotion. It had not even been 10 seconds into our drive. We had barely left the vicinity of the camp.
At first, I thought it was a snake attacking a bird of some sort, but as I got closer, I realized that the bird was actually attacking the snake. The bushshrike, with its distinctive grey, yellow, and green plumage, was diving down and pecking at the boomslang, a venomous tree snake is known for its bright green color.
The snake was trying to escape, but the bushshrike was relentless. It would dive down and attack the snake, then fly back up to a nearby branch, only to repeat the process again.
Grey-headed bushshrikes are ferocious birds that will eat just about anything they can get their beaks on. It is a known fact that they will kill snakes if given the opportunity. As I was observing this fascinating interaction, I knew well that the snake stood no chance. At this point, the bush shrike had already delivered fatal blows to the snake
We watched on for a while, and when the inevitable became clear, the guests requested we leave before the snake actually died as they could not stomach the sight. As we were leaving, I couldn’t help but think about what would happen to the snake. Deep down, I knew that the snake would most likely not survive the attack. The bushshrike at this point had already blinded the snake and was continuously attacking the snake’s head.
Even though I didn’t stay to see the end of the encounter, I was still struck by the power and ferocity of the bushshrike. It is a reminder of the brutal realities of nature and the constant struggle for survival that takes place in the bush.
