I mean, most birds raised in captivity are raised with the "horrific handpuppet made to look like someone is wearing the carcass of one of your own" method of parenting, in order to ingrain in the fledglings that humans are horrifying, sadistic creatures, so you better not cross them if you don't want to end up a horrific handpuppet used to cow future generations into obedience.
Nah, they totally think those puppets are actual birds. Birds are dumb as hell. That's the only way cuckoos can get away with their shit.
Disgusted, but not surprisedAw, well now you've ruined it for me and puppet bird-rearing is a lot less interesting.
Parrots and corvids are very intelligent, does the puppet thing work on them too?
Dunno about that. I've seen the method used for raising cranes and other endangered species raised in captivity. I doubt they even bother with that method for crows and ravens. I think parrots are intelligent enough that they don't use that method.
I think the only birds they use it for are ones they release into the wild, most bird are very intelligent due to their brain structers.
Birds provide some of the smartest vertebrates but also some of the stupidest.
Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for youLike I said, some birds can mistake a cuckoo chick for their own chick. Even when the cuckoo chick is much bigger than them.
Disgusted, but not surprisedSpindriver: Or it didn't see you as a threat.
"Yeah, keep walking, human. Don't start shit, won't be shit."
I'm Charlie Owens, good night and good luck. PSNID: CEOIII 1117My zoo has a section like that for kangaroos. Another animal known for kicking, and yet only a little rope fence between us and them. They all just kinda lounge around.
The cuckoo bird eggs are deliberately designed to resemble the eggs of the host species and think the mother still caring for the chick is somekind of reverse imprinting thing.
I don’t know if the cuckoo specifically does this, but there are other birds that display the same behavior - it’s called “brood parasitism” - where they remember the nests they’ve laid eggs in, and if they come back and their own egg is gone, they’ll smash all the other eggs in retaliation. So it’s less that the mothers are blind and more that they just don’t want trouble from the bird mafia.
Edited by Noaqiyeum on Aug 30th 2019 at 5:05:46 PM
The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeablethe cuckoo chick will destroy the other nestlings anyway. They push the eggs out of the nest until the cuckoo is all that's left.
Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for youThis has actually led to a bit of an evolutionary arms race between the brood parasite species and the host species.
The "mafia" thing is specifically done by brood parasite species who go after multiple host species as opposed to one specific species. The great spotted cuckoo is one such brood parasite who uses mafioso tactics.
Edited by M84 on Aug 31st 2019 at 1:29:33 AM
Disgusted, but not surprisedSoo, the host nest is completely screwed either way - either the cuckoo chick or cuckoo mom breaks the eggs eventually.
This can even benefit other brood parasite species who don't use mafia tactics — the hosts mistake their eggs for that of a mafia bird's and keep it in their nest.
It's the equivalent of a two-bit thief intimidating people by pretending to be a made man.
Edited by M84 on Aug 31st 2019 at 1:56:04 AM
Disgusted, but not surprised
“So...we're going to rob them smash all their eggs now?”
“Yes.”
“How is that different from what we've been doing all along?”
Edited by Noaqiyeum on Aug 30th 2019 at 8:14:42 PM
The Revolution Will Not Be TropeableAren't these birds usually attacked by other birds?
In many cases, yes. I believe crows and Jays will mob cuckoos?
Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for youThe zoo in my hometown has a knee-height wooden fence keeping the humans separate from the kangaroos and wallabies. The wallabies can and do hop right through the fence to cross the footpath.
Fresh-eyed movie blog#4081: I mean, as long as they're opening up her leg anyway...
Me too.
Edited by HeraldAlberich on Sep 1st 2019 at 11:36:20 AM
Fraking , man... same second, as well. I'm almost impressed at this.
Edited by TheLovecraftian on Sep 1st 2019 at 12:35:22 PM
Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Actually, she'd probably be in the mood to literally do that. Stupid emu.
Disgusted, but not surprised
Maybe just being raised among humans since the egg-cracking removed it's "WTF IS THAT FEATHRELESS BIPED, IMMA KICK IT" reaction