Posted on 05/09/2017 9:10:13 AM PDT by marktwain
Deer aren’t the slim, graceful vegans we thought they were. Scientists using field cameras have caught deer preying on nestling song birds. And it’s not just deer. Herbivores the world over may be supplementing their diets.
When researchers in North Dakota set up “nest cams” over the nests of song birds, they expected to see a lot of nestlings and eggs get taken by ground squirrels, foxes, and badgers. Squirrels hit thirteen nests, but other meat-eaters made a poor showing. Foxes and weasels only took one nest each. Know what fearsome animal out-did either of those two sleek, resourceful predators?
White-tailed deer.
These supposed herbivores placidly ate living nestlings right out of the nest. And if you’re thinking that it must be a mistake, that the deer were chewing their way through some vegetation and happened to get a mouthful of bird, think again. Up in Canada, a group of ornithologists were studying adult birds. In order to examine them closely, the researchers used “mist-nets.” These nets, usually draped between trees, are designed to trap birds or bats gently so they can be collected, studied, and released. When a herd of deer came by, they deer walked up to the struggling birds and ate them alive, right out of the nets.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.gizmodo.com ...
Nature is red in tooth and claw. Man's sovereignty over the earth is preferable to nature. We need to be good stewards, and can do better than nature does.
Vegetarians always sneak in some meat.
Wait, Why Do Deer Eat Birds?
Turn about is fair play......................
Like when I saw a mallard duck snap up a butterfly that was flying by.
I prefer the simple answer, baby birds taste good. My dog swears by them.
Tagline
Lol!
All animals are Italian... every one of the will gleefully eat lasagna and pepperoni pizza...from groundhogs to elephants.
Well, this is good news.
Now hopefully cats are off the hook as being sole bird killers.
Move over Felix, Bambi is munching on Tweety.
Because it’s harder for them to catch and eat humans.
I’ve seen a blue heron eat a duckling. It couldn’t get it down immediately and was trying to fight off other blue heron.
It picked up the duck and flew to a nearby perch in a tree and proceeded to slowly get the duckling down.
I didn’t even know they have white tailed deer in ND. I can’t remember seeing one west of the mississipee ever.
I’m sure it’s because of global warming or something.
Exactly my thought. (Though my own cat is primarily indoors.)
Protein is good for nutrition
Because it’s harder for them to catch and eat humans.
Yes. Because baby birds cannot run or defend themselves.
Bambi would have killed and eaten Thumper if he had the chance.
I’ve seen more nestlings snatched by crows than ever by cats.
Yep.
When I was a boy, I was riding with my Uncle and I kept seeing gophers by squashed gophers on the road. I asked my Uncle if they were mourning for the dead gopher.
He said the gophers were eating the dead gopher.
Gophers are cannibals.
“White Tailed Deer” are the only ones doing this?
Racism....pure and simple racism.
My favorite vegetarian was a woman who made a big deal about her vegetarianism, asking restaurant chefs to do ‘special’ things for her; but ate hot dogs and hamburgers at cookouts.
I guess it had to be a steak or something on-the-bone to qualify as ‘meat’, to her ;-)
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