The Little Beggars!
Well no, not beggars. Mobsters, gangsters, unprincipled feathered mafia. What else can you call birds who behave in such an unethical manner? Those strutting little feathered monsters, always pushing and shoving the other birds out of the way at bird feeders. Not that they're so preciously picky about their food, either. Why do you think they're called cowbirds? Cow birds, get it?
No, they don't like to hang around cows because of an affinity between those large warm cud-chewing four-footed beasts and themselves. Where, after all, would be the connection? They hang around pastures where cows are wont to ramble, feed on pasturage and then finally eject the waste. You've got it, they're after the cow patties.
All right, we've established that they're not little shrinking violets, they're discerning connoisseurs. That's not all they are, they're too proud to sit on their own eggs. It's a drag, that's why. And not only are they unwilling to sit on their own eggs, but they also demonstrate no facility in motherhood, in feeding and raising their offspring. But, I can hear you spluttering...they're doomed to extinction.
No. Have I mentioned how cunningly extortionist they can be? You've heard about the protection racket where criminals are paid a set fee monthly by poor shop owners to ensure that their businesses won't be ransacked? Cowbirds heard about that and thought it was pretty cute. They decided to create their own protection racket and they've got pretty good at it.
Here's the secret: Cowbirds pick on innocent sweet little birds smaller than themselves. No kidding. Would I kid you? They do. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. If there are other eggs in the nests they handily dispose of them - whoops! over the side, splat. And there are their eggs, to be sat on, the fledglings looked after and fed - by other species of birds.
Aren't birds stupid that they'll be so accommodating? That they cannot tell their own eggs from those of another species? That they're so willing and eager to do such an existential favour for birds of another species? Um, actually no. There's coersion at work here. Honestly.
A new study out of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals the unspeakable: if the host birds reject the strange eggs the cowbirds come back and trash the place.
Bloody damn!
No, they don't like to hang around cows because of an affinity between those large warm cud-chewing four-footed beasts and themselves. Where, after all, would be the connection? They hang around pastures where cows are wont to ramble, feed on pasturage and then finally eject the waste. You've got it, they're after the cow patties.
All right, we've established that they're not little shrinking violets, they're discerning connoisseurs. That's not all they are, they're too proud to sit on their own eggs. It's a drag, that's why. And not only are they unwilling to sit on their own eggs, but they also demonstrate no facility in motherhood, in feeding and raising their offspring. But, I can hear you spluttering...they're doomed to extinction.
No. Have I mentioned how cunningly extortionist they can be? You've heard about the protection racket where criminals are paid a set fee monthly by poor shop owners to ensure that their businesses won't be ransacked? Cowbirds heard about that and thought it was pretty cute. They decided to create their own protection racket and they've got pretty good at it.
Here's the secret: Cowbirds pick on innocent sweet little birds smaller than themselves. No kidding. Would I kid you? They do. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. If there are other eggs in the nests they handily dispose of them - whoops! over the side, splat. And there are their eggs, to be sat on, the fledglings looked after and fed - by other species of birds.
Aren't birds stupid that they'll be so accommodating? That they cannot tell their own eggs from those of another species? That they're so willing and eager to do such an existential favour for birds of another species? Um, actually no. There's coersion at work here. Honestly.
A new study out of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals the unspeakable: if the host birds reject the strange eggs the cowbirds come back and trash the place.
Bloody damn!
Labels: Whoops
posted by Pieface @ 6:10 PM
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