Watching the local cuckoos you can see them emptying the hairy caterpillars gut content to avoid ingesting toxins #highlandbirds - ThreadSky

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dbmcn.bsky.social • 19 days ago

Watching the local cuckoos you can see them emptying the hairy caterpillars gut content to avoid ingesting toxins
#highlandbirds

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lablit.bsky.social•19 days ago

wow! 👍

hscode.bsky.social•19 days ago

So cool! Do they pierce a hole in the caterpillar or does it come out from force?

dbmcn.bsky.social•19 days ago

I'm not sure, I haven't seen them put a nick in it, so it's either by force or they nick it before bringing it up. Can never see what happens on the ground as its always in long grass.

hscode.bsky.social•19 days ago

Oh I see, thanks anyway. I'd guess it's by force, I think pecking at it might get some ingested

dbmcn.bsky.social•19 days ago

Looking at another video it crushes one end open before turning it around to squeeze it out.

nitramcod.bsky.social•19 days ago

Nutters.

moorfoots2peasebay.bsky.social•19 days ago

Interesting- didn’t know they did that

dbmcn.bsky.social•19 days ago

Apparently, they sometimes take some hairs off as well but haven't witnessed that yet.

djrlincsbirder.bsky.social•19 days ago

Awesome.

dbmcn.bsky.social•19 days ago

There's a pair of males and a female around our house and a good supply of hairy caterpillars ( as well as Meadow Pipits of course!) Fascinating to watch them.

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