Overview
- Researchers reporting in Current Biology on Monday documented 227 social clashes over four weeks and found Bruce won all 36 male‑male contests, confirming him as the group’s top male.
- Bruce’s signature move is a forward jab with his exposed lower beak at close range or after a run or jump, a tactic the team found displaced rivals 73 percent of the time compared with 48 percent for kicks.
- Dominance brought social perks as Bruce reached central feeders first 83 percent of the time and received rare grooming from other males, including cleaning around his beak.
- Faecal tests showed Bruce had the lowest level of stress‑related corticosterone metabolites among the males, which researchers say fits with a status that few rivals dared to challenge.
- The authors caution the results come from a captive aviary with regular feeding and stable membership, so they remain uncertain whether a similar strategy would secure dominance in the wild.