A tiny Australian bird, the brown thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla), mimics the hawk warning calls of neighboring bird species to protect its nest from predators such as the pied currawong. “It’s not superbly accurate mimicry, but it’s enough to fool the predator,” said Dr Branislav Igic of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, lead author […]
Tag: predator
Video: Mother Owl Takes On Snake – and Wins
A predator approached at night, but mama owl was ready to protect her young owlets. Watch this incredible footage of Dottie the female Texas Barn Owl defending her nest against a snake that attempted to enter the nest box! After all the drama the fourth owlet hatched yesterday, May 7. The owlet is very small […]
Why are sharks so misunderstood?
Sharks have a bad rep. Thanks in no small part to Steven Spielberg, who cleverly played on our primordial fears with his blockbuster thriller Jaws, these majestic creatures are generally thought of as little more than mindless killing machines. Shark (BBC One), the Natural History Unit’s spectacular new three-part documentary coinciding with Jaws’ 40th anniversary, […]
Video: Great white shark breaches off South Africa’s coast
A magnificent great white shark leaps from the water to take a chunk out of a would-be seal. These amazing full breaches were conceived using a plastic seal decoy – which is dragged behind a tourist diving boat, as a way of enticing the hungry predator. Shot by filmmaker Mark van Coller in False Bay, […]
Wildlife-killing Contests Targeting Nongame Animals Banned by California Fish and Game Commission
VAN NUYS, Calif.— In response to overwhelming public support for banning wildlife-killing contests, the California Fish and Game Commission voted Wednesday to adopt regulations prohibiting hunting “derbies” targeting species such as coyotes, raccoons and badgers. The ban came after thousands of Californians expressed opposition to the killing competitions. “We’re grateful that the commissioners responded to […]
Could sleeper sharks be preying on protected Steller sea lions?
Pacific sleeper sharks, a large, slow-moving species thought of as primarily a scavenger or predator of fish, may be preying on something a bit larger – protected Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska. A new study found the first indirect evidence that this cold-blooded shark that can grow to a length of more […]
Can Mull be a NNR whilst culling pine martens?
Hot topics Currently there are a few stories hitting the news across Mull; the possibility of Mull becoming a national nature reserve and the issue of the pine marten (Martes martes) breeding on the isle. It is safe to say I have some strong opinions on both of these hot topics. Here on the isle […]