Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumField Cameras Catch Deer Eating Birds—Wait, Why Do Deer Eat Birds?
When researchers in North Dakota set up "nest cams" over the nests of song birds, they expected to see a lot of nestlings and eggs get taken by ground squirrels, foxes, and badgers. Squirrels hit thirteen nests, but other meat-eaters made a poor showing. Foxes and weasels only took one nest each. Know what fearsome animal out-did either of those two sleek, resourceful predators?
White-tailed deer.
These supposed herbivores placidly ate living nestlings right out of the nest. And if you're thinking that it must be a mistake, that the deer were chewing their way through some vegetation and happened to get a mouthful of bird, think again. Up in Canada, a group of ornithologists were studying adult birds. In order to examine them closely, the researchers used "mist-nets." These nets, usually draped between trees, are designed to trap birds or bats gently so they could be collected, studied, and released. When a herd of deer came by, they deer walked up to the struggling birds and ate them alive, right out of the nets.
Looks like Mother Nature is more omnivorous than we thought...
JDDavis
(725 posts)This is what I learned so far today.
BP2
(554 posts)How do you ask someone if they're a vegetarian?
You don't have to ask -- they'll lecture you about it without solicitation.
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)My childhood memories just went
central scrutinizer
(11,746 posts)[link:
|phantom power
(25,966 posts)If an animal can score that much easy protein and other nutrition, for practically zero effort, it won't matter if that animal is otherwise optimized for a vegetarian diet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimal_foraging_theory
hatrack
(59,704 posts).
phantom power
(25,966 posts)pansypoo53219
(21,108 posts)like a little tiger.
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)Mother nature is not your friend!
Mother natures works tirelessly, day and night, looking for better ways to kill you. Poisonous plants, venomous snakes, disease-bearing insects, fungi, viruses, antibiotic-resistant flesh-eating bacteria, earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning, fires, floods, sink holes, asteroid collisions, lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) and most dangerous of all, human stupidity.
There is nothing warm and cuddly about mother nature.
NickB79
(19,356 posts)Now rabbits, them's good eatin!
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)Thanks, everybody, I was wondering how to get rid of them.