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https://theconversation.com/pirate-birds-force-other-seabirds-to-regurgitate-fish-meals-their-thieving-ways-could-spread-lethal-avian-flu-238438>
"It’s not easy finding food at sea. Seabirds often stay aloft, scanning the
churning waters for elusive prey. Most seabirds take fish, squid, or other prey
from the first few metres of seawater. Scavenging is common.
But there are other tactics. Frigatebirds, skuas, and gulls rely on the success
of other seabirds. These large, strong birds chase, harry, and attack their
targets until they regurgitate or drop the prey they’ve just caught. They’re
the pirates of the seabird world, stealing hard-earned meals from other
species. This behaviour is known as kleptoparasitism, from the Ancient Greek
word kléptēs, thief.
The strategy is brutal, effective, and a core behaviour for these important
seabirds. But as our new research shows, it comes with major risks for the
thieves. The new strain of avian flu is killing birds by their millions – and
we found kleptoparasitism could spread the virus very easily."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
