Saw some really neat behaviors a few years ago. A mountain chickadee taking advantage of an American red squirrel's efforts (a thread).
I spotted a mountain chickadee searching bark and flaking it off from the tree, with a lot of effort. pic.twitter.com/hiSQflk4ZI
— Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD ???? (@drcampbellsmith) November 11, 2021
When you’re not strong enough to tear off an entire essay, sometimes you can scrape up an aggregation from others’ work…
The chickadee caught on to what the squirrel was doing and started inspecting the bits of bark on the ground, carelessly flung down by the sap-obsessed rodent. pic.twitter.com/r9z856fJ33
— Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD ???? (@drcampbellsmith) November 11, 2021
And success!! Insect larva located with minimal work!! It kept coming in and out of the area focusing all of its attention on the bits of bark the squirrel was flinging to the ground and reaped many tasty rewards. That's what I call optimal foraging! Good job chickadee! pic.twitter.com/p8h2rGtLaC
— Jennifer Campbell-Smith, PhD ???? (@drcampbellsmith) November 11, 2021
Friday Morning Open Thread: An Inspiration to Us <del>All</del> BloggersPost + Comments (200)