Actually, we have been quite amazed at their natural sense of the pecking order. This order tends to lead to sweet harmony among the birds in the neighborhood.  It seems only the rare occasion, they get their feathers ruffled; however, there is always that one that lands in a fowl mood....and with the coming of breeding tempers flared as the protection and of course nourishment of the young began to be a priority. 
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BIRDS BEHAVING BADLY...


​ Interestingly enough, when fledglings emerged....they were quite patient toward each other and thus we have some "beautiful pics too."  As a side...they would eat all of the worms we would put out.  We now only put one cup in the evening (for the early birds) and one cup in late morning.   The worms don't last long and after they are gone..they will eat the seed, so we have to ration supply (also because they are not cheap...lol)

Birds Behaving Beautifully...

Abby's has been wanting this section since February but we didn't have enough "material."   With springtime here and it being nesting season.  all of the birds of age have paired up!  As a note, I can see why Adam noticed that he did not have a mate...it is hard to miss.  Even the birds that tend to come in a cooperative flock (like the finches) pair off within that group.  See below for details.  With the fledglings emerging we have see great fights but also great patience especially from the little ones that don't know better...I like the cooperation much better!
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Many of the birds participate in a "mating ritual" of the male feeding the female.  This is called Allofeeding. This reinforces the bond between the pair, shows the female that the male will be able to provide food as sometimes depending on the species, the female will be entirely dependent on the male during nesting, and the additional food provided by the male may help strengthen the female's health for egg laying.  After nesting season many of the fledglings will come with the parents to our feeder and the parents will feed them.  Eventually, they will come by themselves.