Summary

The article discusses the aggressive behavior and territorial nature of water rails, a common yet elusive bird species known for their distinctive "sharming" call and their surprising methods of predation and defense.

Abstract

The article "Prince Sharming" delves into the often overlooked world of the water rail, a bird known for its secretive nature and challenging observation. The author initially intended to write about the difficulty of spotting these birds but was drawn into researching their behavior after identifying their calls using BirdNet. Water rails are described as medium-sized birds with laterally flattened bodies, ideal for navigating through reed beds. Despite their camouflaged plumage, water rails are extremely territorial and aggressive, attacking intruders, including other birds and even humans who encroach upon their space. The article highlights their predatory habits, such as eating nestling birds and attacking members of their own family, the Rallidae, to defend their territory. The water rail's methods of killing, including impaling and drowning with their beak and legs, are portrayed as unusually cruel. The author reflects on the shocking nature of these discoveries and touches upon the natural cycle of predation, where water rails themselves fall prey to larger predators like the Eurasian bittern.

Opinions

The author expresses frustration at the elusiveness of water rails, having spent over 40 minutes trying to spot one without success.
There is a sense of irony in the title "Prince Sharming," which contrasts with the aggressive and violent nature of the water rail.
The author seems to have developed a fascination with water rails, shifting from a planned complaint about their shyness to an in-depth exploration of their behavior.
There is an element of surprise and shock at the revelation of the water rail's aggressive behavior, particularly their predation on other birds and their territorial defense strategies.
The article suggests a sense of respect for the water rail's place in the natural ecosystem, despite their aggressive tendencies, acknowledging that they are both predators and prey.
The author provides a neutral stance on the morality of predation, presenting it as a natural and inevitable part of the ecosystem, where every creature has its role as both a consumer and a resource.

Prince Sharming

Brutal life and death of aggressive water birds

I planned on writing a bird-related article today. Recently I uploaded one of the last recordings from fish ponds in Niezgoda, so I thought to myself that publishing another reed story may be a good idea.

Loud, loud reed

This reed is loud. So loud, that I’m even wondering whether this is still a relaxing noise.

medium.com

I wanted to complain about shy water birds, who, even if common, really don’t like to be seen. I wanted to talk about seating on a tree trunk, looking down for more than 40 minutes, and not seeing any member of the Rallidae family. I wanted to say something about BirdNet and realize I’ve recorded a water rail 2 months after I heard that noise.

But I’ve decided to read more about the bird instead.

How to spot a water rail?

As I learned after running my mysterious recording through BirdNet and reading, water rails communicate in a series of grunts followed by a high-pitched piglet-like squeal and ending in more grunts. Some bird songs (as bird groups) have specific names, and this is the case for water rails — their main call is called sharming.

I’ve recorded a couple of those sharmings, starting from 11:21 they start and stop for about 7 minutes.

Unfortunately I didn’t see a single water rail, even if the pair could be clearly heard. Water rail is a medium size bird, and similarly to other birds from the Rallidae family, has a body that is flattened laterally, allowing it easier passage through the reed beds.

Even though water rails are pretty common, they like to hide in the reeds. Their plumage definitely helps them to stay unnoticed by humans.

What if the water rail spots you?

Well, I assume you’re a human — in that case, it will most likely stop and pretend not to be there, hoping for its plumage to act like camouflage.

On the other hand, if you’re another water rail (how did you learn to read?) you may not be treated so nicely. Water rails are extremely aggressive. If you happen to pass through their territory, both water rails from the pair will charge at you.

If you’re a bird, but not a water rail, don’t think that you have it easier.

They are nest predators, so they eat small birds that haven’t yet gone out of the nest. They often attack species from the same Rallidae family to defend their territory. They were observed to kill small birds, caught in traps made by ornithologists for bird banding purposes. Their weapon of choice is their beak (great for impaling someone) and their legs (great for drowning someone).

I was shocked by the cruelty of water rails. Having so many ways to kill another avian seems cruel. Reading that water rails impale and drown wasn’t something I expected from the evening research preceding article publication.

How to fight a water rail?

Well, if you’re an Amerikan mink, you’ve already fought off Icelandic water rails to extinction.

If you’re a human, you have a good chance of causing water rails some bad time by doing everything that may negatively impact marshes and reeds.

If you’re a larger bird, cat, or dog roaming next to water beds, you’re probably hungry enough to feed on a water rail.

Maybe, dear reader, you think that there should be someone to take revenge on poor young great reed warblers and other defenseless birds. You may think that simply eating someone is not enough. I’m not here to judge if we should be so vengeful, but I can tell you that nature is an ongoing cycle. If you’re eating, then you’ll be eaten.

So who could be killing those aggressive, violent, and repulsive water rails? Well, here it comes —the Eurasian bittern.

Imagine those eyes being the last thing you see. Here’s the revenge part, water rail.