Sometime back there was a string about the evolution of a strategy used
by cowbirds to feed, i.e., following along as the herds of buffalo
stirred up insect food, as these animals slowly sauntered along foraging
on the prairie grasses. A couple weeks ago I got to experience first
hand this feeding behavior of the cowbird. As I was walking along Pine
Tree Road at the corner of Snyder Hill Road, I noticed a lone horse in
the paddock on that corner (every time I've been by there, for whatever
reason it has been by itself). This time I saw that it had company. As
the horse slowly walked along feeding on the vegetation, there were four
cowbirds following very closely on its "heels". As soon as the horse
lifted a hoof to move on, they were right there to quickly snatch
whatever it had stirred up. Indeed one bird even darted in under the
horse to feed where the front hoof had just been. Despite my feelings
about this nasty little nest predator, I nonetheless have to marvel at
their evolving this clever way to forage for food.
Larry
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W. Larry Hymes
120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
(H) 607-277-0759, [email protected]
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