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[narrator] In battle, it doesn't
matter if you're outsized. -
Look at me, I'm dominant, I'm a boss.

[narrator] Or outnumbered.

They get swept up in the
aggression and in the chaos.

[narrator] What matters
are the tools.

The real damage comes
from those big, huge teeth.

Like a mix between a chisel
and a pair of pliers.

[narrator] And the know-how.

They can work smart,
not harder.

They're just a whirling ball
of teeth and death

and giant balls!

[narrator] Whether fighting
your own kind...

They are the Swiss army knife
of birds.

[narrator] ...or an aerial
apex alpha.

There is no finer
killing machine in the sky.

[narrator] A scrappy Alpha
is a nasty Alpha.

Every day, everywhere,

our planet is a battleground.

Turf wars,

food fights.

And mating mayhem rage on.

As animals outwit and
outmanoeuvre their own kind.

In the Battle of the Alphas.

Autumn in the North-Western US.

A time when Mother Nature
reveals her true colours.

And so do the swamp rats.

[♪]

An invasive species introduced
from southern South America,

they go by many different names

Some people call them nutria,
or they call them coypus,

or they call them swamp rats,
which sounds like an insult,

but I mean, come on,
they live in the swamp,

and they're basically rats.

But whatever you want to call
them, they're scrappy rodents.
[narrator] They have 20
battle-ready teeth

but it's those
bright orange incisors

that give the rodent
its signature smile.

Nutria teeth are actually
fortified with iron.

That's why they have that really
deep orange okra colour.

[narrator] They use them
to fight...

and to bulk up for the fight.

They're using a ton of energy
for their lifestyle,

and that means they have to take
in a ton of food,

so the average nutria
is eating

like 25 % of its body weight
in a day.

[narrator] This Alpha Male
is on high alert,

patrolling his domain.

The alpha male has it made.
He's got a sweet house.

He's mating
with lots of females.

Everything's going great, but he
knows there's a problem coming.

[narrator] Though they can
breed all year-round,

in the fall, a surge of young
male nutrias

reach sexual maturity

and get kicked out of their
mother's burrows. - And as soon
as they're kicked out of the house,

they're going to come looking
for a place to live,

and they're going to come
for his house.

And it happens at the worst
possible time in the fall when
things are about to get very cold.

And as a result, you get tons
of conflict

and tons of fights.

And it is not just simply,

"This is my house.
I want to keep it."

But having a good place
to over winter

literally can save your life.

[narrator] With his life
on the line,

the Alpha relies on his acute
sense of hearing

to detect danger.

The external fleshy part
of the ears

helps them kind of triangulate
to listen for sounds.

But inside the ear,

that's where they're listening
out for sounds from
other nutria, particularly these
little interloping males.

[narrator] Their ears can
detect intruders.

Their scent can ward them off.

The alpha reinforces his turf
with a chemical warning

for any young males who might
try to topple his reign.

Nutria scent mark a lot.

In fact, they'll even stand
on their hands,

do a handstand and kind of aim
their behinds up.

And then they'll spray that
oily secretion

all over their territory.

[narrator] Being a pro scent marker

is all in the anal glands.

In the fall, when competition
is most fierce,

a nutria's anal glands enlarge.

If you ever have a day
when you think your job kind
of sucks,

just feel for the person
who has to measure

the anal glands of nutria.

There are people with that job,

and thanks to their hard work,

we know that during certain
parts of the year,

the anal glands of nutria
get way bigger.

[narrator] The Alpha male's not
itching for a fight,

if anything,
he'd rather avoid it.

Scent marking
is a very smart solution

to an otherwise
very ugly problem.

You don't want to fight, right?

Fighting costs a ton of energy,
and it's really dangerous.

[narrator] Leaving scent marks
takes a lot of energy too,

but the potential reward
is worth it.

If you can defend a territory,

scent mark an area that's yours
and no one else's.

That gives you the opportunity
to mate with more females.

[narrator] And if females
become pregnant in the fall,

their babies will be born
in the spring

when food is abundant,

and the chances of survival
are highest.

So in evolution,
you win by having as many
babies as possible.

But more importantly,

the most number of offspring
that survive.

[narrator] A young male's urge
to secure

some sweet new real estate
is just as powerful

as the alpha's drive
to defend it.

It's game-on between
the upstart and the alpha.

When nutria fight,
it gets very ugly,

and it looks like it would hurt.

They're smashing into
each other, they're clawing.

But the real damage comes
from those big, huge teeth.

Kind of like a mix between
a chisel and a pair of pliers.

And if you got in a fight
with somebody with a chisel

and a pair of pliers,
you would do serious damage.

These teeth are made to rip
plants out of the swamp

so the animal can eat them.

But if they take to flesh,
they can cut right to the bone.

Those are serious weapons
that could do a ton of damage.

[narrator] They've got
razor-sharp claws,

perfect for gripping
their opponents.

And their feet are built for
battle in the swamp.

Nutria have webbed feet,

and it's using
those paddle-like feet

to push against the water

so that it can engage
in a battle.

So they look like webbed feet.

But they're not just
for swimming around,

they're actually part
of the weaponry.

[narrator] In this match,

the defender holds on
to his title,

keeping his home
and his family intact,

ready for another winter
in the swamp.

[♪]

Nutria battles may be wet
and wild,

but this animal gets into scrap
for its scrap of land.

Every spring on small islands
off the coast of East Asia

tens of thousands
of black-tailed gulls

come together to breed...

and battle.

Black-tailed gulls are like
the Swiss Army knife of birds.

They can sort of do anything.

And when they're protecting
their nesting area,

they can be very, very aggressive.

These gulls have kind of
a hidden dark side.

They are fighting all day long,

they're brawlers, essentially.

[narrator] Separated during
the rest of the year,

monogamous pairs find each other

amongst the cacophony
of the breeding colony.

But nesting space is
at a premium.

And within these dense colonies

you have to be aggressive

because you only have
a small part of real estate,

and if another bird wants
to take that away from you

and you can't defend yourself,
then you won't be able to nest.

[narrator] No nest
means no chicks this year.

And as a result, these birds
have become extremely defensive

of their personal space.

[narrator] With thousands
of pairs fighting for territory

keeping the nest site safe
is a constant battle.

So, after the female
has laid eggs,

she will sit on the nest
guarding her clutch.

And the male will spend a lot
of time protecting his female

from other birds that might
try to drive her away.

[narrator] A rival male
approaches the couple.

He gets a warning.

They will do a lot of posturing,

and they will use their wings
to make themselves look bigger.

Basically, to say,
"This is our territory."

[narrator] The intruder
gets the message and backs off.

Mom and dad are protective
before the chicks hatch,

but they step it up a notch after.

About 80% of bird species
share parent duty.

Compared to mammals,
bird dads

actually are really
great fathers.

[narrator] They'll threaten
and attack any bird

that gets too close.

Jabbing with their bill,

grabbing the opponent's tail
and wings.

But it's not just dad
on guard duty.

If another bird is trying to
invade on their clutch,

the female will get protective.

She'll go at it with her beak
to try to drive it away.

They've built up this
very aggressive nature

because they don't have
much land,

and they're going
to do everything they can
to protect it.

[narrator] While dad's out fishing,

at the nest, a trespasser gets
too close for comfort.

Mom springs into action.

Their biggest weapon is their
razor-sharp beak

with a small hook at the end,

and these are basically
like knives.

They will fight each other
beak to beak.

These are very high stakes fights.

Damage on one another's bills,
it's unbelievably serious,

for that gull's ability
to then defend itself

and ability to find food.

If you can control the bill
of your competitor,

that is their best offence.

[narrator] The moment she lets
go, the troublemaker flees.

Each one's just a little
quick fight.

And then they've established
who's the winner.

So those few seconds
of aggressive behaviour

are really, really important
to lay down the law.

[narrator] Thanks to mom's
protection her chick survived.

But not all are so lucky.

Unfortunately, the nearest
threat's around a foot and a
half away, so a few seconds
later, the next fight can begin.

[narrator] Around 30 %
of chicks will die.

Why?

It can get attacked by other
black-tailed gulls

if it wanders into their territory,

and unfortunately, these attacks
are quite gruesome.

Often younger gulls that
weren't able to find a mate

or a specific nesting territory
themselves that year.

They do have a lot
of misplaced hormonal rage.

But in addition to that,

successful parents who have
their own territory to defend

on a crowded colony can
often kill other chicks, too.

Just because they're so focused
on defending their own space

from all intruders.

Chicks just kind of get
swept up

in the aggression and
in the chaos.

[narrator] When this chick
wanders off,

enticed by the smell
of fresh fish,

almost immediately,
it's attacked.

Dad swoops in and launches
a counter-attack.

Executing a direct jab
to the eye.

A blow that gives the chick
time to flee.

With danger all around, surprisingly,

some close neighbours
may provide a safe haven.

Sometimes those chicks get
adopted by neighbouring pairs,

and those pairs will actually
raise that chick as their own.

So it's a really fascinating
social structure.

[narrator] With aggressive
breeding neighbours

also the most likely to protect
and adopt stray chicks,

the colony does have
its upside.

They are aggressive,
and they're trying to protect

their tiny patch of land
from other competing birds.

But it does provide a lot
of advantages.

They have lots of eyes
and lots of sharp beaks

to help fend off predators

that might be coming into
the colony.

[narrator] Cramped quarters,

Jekyll and Hyde neighbours,

for these masters of mayhem,

combat is a way of life
in the colony.

[♪]

Gulls are scrapping
to protect their patch.

But when it comes to all-out
assault,

one animal is the most
audacious of all.

The Honey Badger.

The Guinness Book of World
Records calls the honey badger

the "most fearless animal
in the world".

It may be fearless.

But it's no honey.

These things are proper
hardcore nutters.

They'd bite your face off
soon as look at you.

They are built for scrapping.

They are the badass
of the entire animal kingdom.

[narrator] Honey badgers are
primarily nocturnal.

However, they seem to be ready
for a fight,

whether it's daytime
or nighttime.

[narrator] Covered in battle scars,

this animal's ferocious
reputation is well earned.

Those scars are almost
like war wounds, their medals,

that shows all the battles
that they've been in

and survived from.

[narrator] These bruisers don't
go lightly into a scrap.

Honey badgers are able to size
one another up.

[narrator] The bigger,
the badder.

But it's the size of one body
part that really says,

"I'm boss".

It comes down to the cojones.

Larger testicles usually means
a more formidable foe.

These animals, testes
are actually twice the size

of similar-sized animals.

Possibly why they can be
so aggressive

because they have way more testosterone.

That communicates,
"Look at me, I'm dominant.

I'm a boss.
I'm in control."

So, they've been literally
kicking butt and taking names

for a long, long time.

[narrator] But there's a twist.

They're super tolerant
of one another.

It only becomes a problem during
the breeding season,

and access to females
becomes something

that they're willing
to fight over.

[narrator] Young stay with
their moms for up to two years,

this means estrus females
are rare.

So, when one does come along,
she's worth fighting for.

But before the males attack,
they bluster.

The Honey Badger has
a battle cry.

Deeper roars tend to indicate
a bigger animal.

That scary death roar to go,
"I'm fierce."

[narrator] If his audible
assault doesn't

deter challengers,
his physique might.

He's a big baddie.
He has all the war wounds.

He's been through some fights.
He's willing to fight again.

So, think about that before
you're willing to take him on.

[narrator] But with the chance
to breed on the line,

the reward outweighs
the risk.

That low squat body gives them
a low centre of gravity.

They can get up under a foe.

Those little wide set arms.

Surprisingly fast
for all that bulk and weight

that they're carrying about.

It has these long, wiry hairs
and it raises them,

makes it look bigger and
even stockier than it is before.

It'll raise up
on his back legs.

It'll bustle up.

[narrator] But if no one wants
to throw in the towel,

he ups the ante
with an aromatic assault.

It has a chemical weapon.

It has these anal glands
where it'll shoot out

these stink bombs from
its rear end.

That smell is a way to say,

"You don't want none of this.
All right."

[narrator] But if all this fails,

the attacker really sinks
his teeth in.

They have super scary,
impressive piercing pointing canines.

Even their incisors, those front
teeth are little dagger knives.

They have a jaw that's strong
enough to crack open

a tortoiseshell.

So it could easily tear flesh,
if not break bone.

[narrator] His bite
is strategic.

By going for the back
of the neck,

the animal has a chance to get
hold of its opponent,

wrestle them to the ground,
wrestle them about,

display its strength.

[narrator] The neck is the most
vulnerable part of most animals

but this animal has evolved
some special defence.

It has really thick skin,
about six millimetres thick.

Which makes it hard
for scratches and bites
to penetrate,

to be fatal.
It's almost like wearing

a really thick
leather turtleneck.

That's your shield

and it's not very well attached
to them either.

So, they're kind of like
writhing around

in this giant jumpsuit.

They literally can wriggle out
of their grasp.

That means they can spin
within their own body

and attack.

They're just a whirling ball
of teeth and death.

And, giant balls.

[narrator] Now in a full-on
assault, anything goes.

They'll pin one another down.

They have a lot of dexterity
in those front claws,

so they can wrap
their hands around.

They'll scratch at each other
to get the foe off of them

and they have amazing stamina.

They will continue
doing whatever they can

to fight and win their cause.

But once it seems very clear
that there's a victor

and a loser, the grip is let go,

and then the loser usually
scurry on off,

licking their wounds.

[narrator] But it's not
a done deal for the winner.

That fight doesn't guarantee
them the right to mate.

If she prefers the loser of that
fight, she'll mate with him.

So in this case, the winner
might actually turn out

to be the loser.

Or just because two males
fight today

doesn't mean she's ready
to mate today.

[narrator] But after mating
finally happens,

she may have second thoughts!

We also see mate guarding,

and this can be blocking
the female in a burrow

after mating or even going
as far as to actually bury her

in the burrow, trapping her
in there.

Increasing that period
of time that she has
his sperm inside her

and that he will father most
of her offspring.

[narrator] Because when
it comes to who's the daddy,

tactics are important.

Just because an animal loses
that day,

that's not the end of the story
for them.

They're going to come back
a different day

when that big male isn't
- stalking around.
- And try to gain
access to a potentially
receptive female.

They can work smart,
not harder.

[narrator] For now,
this fierce fighter retreats,

waiting for his day to come.

[♪]

All species
fight their own kind.

But for the top of every
food chain, there is no contest

this is an apex alpha.

The Peregrine Falcon.
Falco peregrinus.

I have to say
the best of the best.

[narrator] For a bird the size
of a crow,

this is an apex predator
that punches above its weight.

If you were to design
the perfect raptor,

you would get
a peregrine falcon.

There's nothing
that can take it out.

Nothing that can catch it.

There is no finer
killing machine in the sky.

[narrator] The peregrine checks
all the raptor boxes.

Keen eyesight.

Sharp talons.

A deadly beak.

So far, so raptor.

But one thing raises
the peregrine

to apex alpha status.

They are the fastest
living thing in the world.

Nothing can catch it.

[narrator] When diving,

the peregrine can reach
350 kilometres per hour.

Its entire biology
has adapted to life

at the limits of endurance.

Theoretically,
if it's dropping at over
200 miles an hour,

it could potentially with
the force of the air

coming in
blow its lungs up.

But a peregrine can get
around that

because they've got this
tiny little bone adaptation.

These incredibly clever little
features called tubercles,

they actually break up that wind

and make sure that it comes
into the nostrils in a spiral,

so it doesn't cause any damage
and enables it still to breathe.

They effectively act
as a baffle,

like you see in the turbine
engines of any aeroplane.

[narrator] The peregrine's eyes
are also designed

for extreme skydiving.

They've got this wonderful
translucent eyelid

that covers their eyes,
and it acts like goggles

to protect it from the air as
they're moving fast.

[narrator] It's by no means
a big bird.

Females weigh just under a kilo

Males weigh less than
half a kilo.

They've achieved this
sweet spot in terms of weight

and wing length
and overall size

to be the perfect
flying machine.

[narrator] With eyesight eight
times better than humans,

it hunts like a fighter pilot,

scanning the sky
for a target.

It can pick out a duck about
three kilometres away.

[narrator] If our eyes were
the same proportion

to our bodies as the peregrine,
they'd be the size of oranges.

It's like having a pair of
binoculars stuck to your face.

[narrator] It gains elevation,

up to 300 metres above
its prey.

They go into a stoop,

so they pull their wings back,
and they dive.

And it's going like
a bullet out of the sky.

[narrator] At the last moment,
it lowers its landing gear.

It's using the talons,

and they will actually get
them like a bare-knuckle boxer

and close them together, and
it will hit that bird so hard,

it's hoping that it will kill it instantly.

[narrator] Then it dives
after its victim.

Dead or alive.

In one quick move,
the job is done.

Falcons have a sharp triangular
notch on the upper beak

called the tomial tooth.

And that tomial tooth
is used to pierce their spine

and actually
sever their backbone,

at the base of the skull.

For basically, dislocating its
neck and killing it instantly.

[narrator] Now that dinner
is in hand,

the peregrine uses
its specialized cutlery

to tear apart its meal.

It has this huge,
hooked talons

built out of keratin that
are just daggers.

And also, as well,
it has this hook bill,

which is used for ripping
and tearing flesh

and plucking the feathers out.

[narrator] If it's not more
than a peregrine's size

and it flies, it's fair game.

But that's not all
they're after.

Peregrines are so fast
and so smart.

They not only are great at
just hunting their own things,

they're really good at stealing
food from other birds.

[narrator] This apex alpha
has spread its wings

around the world.

Its name means "wanderer".

They'll follow birds
from the Arctic all the way down

to central and South America,
and they'll follow

those same shorebirds, songbirds
all the way back up north.

It's about a 25,000-kilometre
round trip journey.

[narrator] The peregrine falcon
does wander.

But this tiny powerhouse always
comes home with dinner.

After all, these hatchlings
can't hunt for themselves yet.

[♪]

The scrappiest of creatures are
tough to intimidate.

But they don't have to be heavyweights.

Because in
the Battle of the Alphas,

it pays to keep your eyes
on the prize,

and forget about your size.