Skip to comments.
Cold winters drive great tits to eat bats, reports expert
timesonline ^
| September 9, 2009
Posted on 09/10/2009 4:41:56 PM PDT by JoeProBono
A much-loved garden bird has been exposed as a ruthless killer after being observed seeking out and eating hibernating bats.
The great tits were provoked into the unusual behaviour after suffering food shortages during particularly harsh winter weather.
Over the course of two winters, ornithologists observed the birds searching for, killing and eating 18 bats in caves in the Bükk Mountains in northeast Hungary.
The birds normally live on seeds and insects such as caterpillars and spiders but during the winter these can be in very scarce supply. In particular, snow cover can make it impossible for the great tits to find food.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: aheartthisthread; godsgravesglyphs; nocomment; tits
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 141-143 next last
To: JoeProBono
I hear they travel in pairs!
2
posted on
09/10/2009 4:42:43 PM PDT
by
Batman11
(Obama will dispatch skittle $hitting unicorns around the world to bring peace and prosperity to all!)
To: JoeProBono
Couldn’t resist the title, could ya?
;)
3
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:00 PM PDT
by
dynachrome
(I am Jim Thompson!)
To: JoeProBono
Phew!!!
I was kind of scared there for a minute, after looking at the title!
4
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:11 PM PDT
by
Mr. Jazzy
("I AM JIM THOMPSON!!!")
To: Batman11
Ummmm - I need more pics to make a decision.
5
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:41 PM PDT
by
2banana
(My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
To: JoeProBono
Not bad.
Come on, you knew it was coming...
6
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:49 PM PDT
by
freedumb2003
(Communism comes to America: 1/20/2009. Keep your powder dry, folks. Sic semper tyrannis)
To: JoeProBono
Good tits, maybe, but great tits...?
7
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:49 PM PDT
by
freebilly
( No wonder all the left has a boner for Obama.... There's "Cialis" in "SoCIALISt")
To: JoeProBono
... they named a bird what????
8
posted on
09/10/2009 4:43:54 PM PDT
by
Ken522
To: JoeProBono
I LOVE photos of great tits!
9
posted on
09/10/2009 4:44:43 PM PDT
by
Cletus.D.Yokel
(FreepMail me if you want on the Bourbon ping list!)
To: JoeProBono
Maybe they can run over the bats with those new India made cars?
10
posted on
09/10/2009 4:45:24 PM PDT
by
Bringbackthedraft
(DON'T BLAME ME I VOTED FOR "PALIN"!)
To: Ken522
... they named a bird what???? They named it a "great tit", you boob. It was right in the title. :=)
(Since "boobies" are an entirely different type of bird, that name was already taken.)
11
posted on
09/10/2009 4:47:53 PM PDT
by
Bob
To: freedumb2003
12
posted on
09/10/2009 4:48:40 PM PDT
by
Bratch
To: Bob
We see the occasional Tuffted Titmouse here during the winter.
Not to be confused with the Tassled Titmouse.
13
posted on
09/10/2009 4:49:27 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(Seniors, the new shovel ready project under socialized medicine.)
To: JoeProBono
Man, this should be a good thread! I want to see the tits that can EAT BATS!
14
posted on
09/10/2009 4:49:55 PM PDT
by
dinodino
To: JoeProBono
15
posted on
09/10/2009 4:52:00 PM PDT
by
Born Conservative
("I'm a fan of disruptors" - Nancy Pelosi)
To: JoeProBono
16
posted on
09/10/2009 4:52:45 PM PDT
by
Yaelle
To: dinodino
I’ve seen.....oh never mind....
To: JoeProBono
What about the effect of cold winters on blue boobies?
To: JoeProBono
A comment on the source: Batman can only pray that Robin is not hungry...
19
posted on
09/10/2009 4:54:18 PM PDT
by
paudio
(Road to hell is paved by unintended consequences of good intentions)
To: JoeProBono
So this would be a case of tit for bat?
20
posted on
09/10/2009 4:55:12 PM PDT
by
RichInOC
(No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 141-143 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson