Posted on 11/23/2017 2:18:17 PM PST by JoeProBono
This morning, a bizarre video went viral on Twitter: it showed over a dozen turkeys endlessly circling a dead cat in the middle of the road. This is the craziest thing Ive ever seen, says the guy who posted the video, @TheReal_JDavis, whos from Boston.
Why in the world are the birds doing this? They might be performing whats called a predator inspection, says Alan Krakauer, a biologist at the University of California, Davis, who studies the behavioral ecology of birds, in an email to The Verge. Sometimes, animals lower down in the food chain approach predators a behavior that can be seen as risky, but can actually help the prey. Making the predator aware that the prey know its there can sometimes scare the predator away. The inspection also allows the prey to check how determined the predator is to attack, and can alert other animals to the danger.
Krakauer says hes seen turkeys act in a similar way with a coyote once. Richard Buchholz, a professor of biology at the University of Mississippi, agrees: hes also seen this kind of circling behavior in the turkey bird family, which includes chickens, pheasants, and quail. Following the tail in front of them is a way they stick together as a flock, he says.
Whats weird is that in the video the turkeys are circling a dead cat definitely not a dangerous predator. And turkeys dont usually eat dead animals, including dead cats, so its not like theyre doing some weird ritual dance before tasting their meal. What could be happening is that the turkeys are stuck in some kind of never-ending circle, with each bird following the tail in front of it. Its not unusual for them to get into those dances where they chase each other around, Scott Gardner, a turkey expert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, tells The Verge.
Itd be interesting to know how long the turkeys continued their weird ritual dance, and whether at a certain point they just got tired of it. Maybe they are waiting to see if the cat wakes up? Krakauer says. Definitely amusing from a human perspective!
To see if it will cross the road?
I remember seeing that video last spring.
There are many speculations. There are several pieces of music that would go well with this scene.
“Tubular Bells” (Theme from Exorcist) by Michael Oldfield is one of them.
I guess we just have tougher cats in our area, I’ve seen more than a few try to take down a wild turkey in my travels near Granite Bay near Sacramento.
Wonder if any old birds are circling Hillary right now? If not, they should be.
Looks like she’s not getting up this time.
Literally, because they are stupid.
Just like liberals.
Easy
They are playing “Duck Duck Goose”
Protesting cuz of TRUMP!!
FWIW, Turkey are *NOT* stupid birds. Ax any turkey hunter. :)
I’m thinking “Walk Like an Egyptian” would work too.
Them Dem turkeys are simply checking out a 2020 prospect instead of HRC.
Wouldnt that be Duck Duck Puss?
Thats the best explanation on the thread but why are they even near the cat at all.
Animals are attracted to other dead animals, especially if there is blood. I’ve seen this behavior, not the circling, when ever we have a dead animal on the farm.
I just butchered 2 turkeys this past Sunday. I shot them with a .22 and the other turkeys came running up and started pecking them. My big tom, called Spanky, actually mounted one of them and tried to screw it.
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