Parent bird holds its ground as tractor straddles nest

I can’t imagine what was going through this bird’s mind as the tractor approached, but it held fast to protect the nest and eggs. The farmer was careful to not hit the nest with any tires and even took special care to raise the implement to the bird didn’t get bonked on the head.

We’re not sure if it’s a male or female pied plover — there’s been much discussion in the original comments, as both genders are vigorous protectors of their nests.

This video, posted by Earth Selfies, has been viewed more than 29 million times.