Bird-Mimics Steal Meerkats' Food
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 30
No. 11,
November 2010
The birds "play tricks" on meerkats in particular, following the little mammals around until they catch a meal.
The drongos then make fake alarm calls that mimic other species and cause the meerkats to run for cover, allowing the drongos to swoop in.
The findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The scientists suggest that by mimicking other species, drongos keeps their deception "believable".
"It's a nifty trick," said Tom Flower, the Cambridge University PhD student who carried out the research.
He began his work studying meerkats in the Kalahari Desert and quickly noticed their reaction to the drongos' alarm calls. Read the full report here.
Source: by Victoria Gill, Science and nature reporter, BBC Earth News.
