Australia has this bird called the plover...stupidest bird in the world IMO. They "nest" in short grass, near footpaths, then swoop and carry on when people go near them (*)
Was explaining to my co-workers the other week that every animal appears to have a place in the environment, but these things appear to have no purpose other than being annoying and stupid...I painted an analogy/strawman that they'd be just as likely to nest in a carpark, and then get all uppity.
Was dropping a whole bunch of clothes to St Vincents around lunchtime, entered the carpark, and there was exactly what I'd proposed...Plovers, "nesting" on an asphalt carpark, and getting all squawky at the cars...that little thing to the left is a chick "hiding"
(*) they swoop, coming within feet/inches of your face with their wing spurs, and if they realise that you aren't fearful of that, they drop to the ground and carry a wing like it's broken so that you will follow them and not their nest.
The apologists for these birds consider their nesting behaviour effective at detecting predators...yep sitting in a carpark, that is virtually the opposite colour of yourself gives you a great view of predators...unlike THIS bird, the tawny frogmouth, which I'm quietly confident is also able to see predators.
Was explaining to my co-workers the other week that every animal appears to have a place in the environment, but these things appear to have no purpose other than being annoying and stupid...I painted an analogy/strawman that they'd be just as likely to nest in a carpark, and then get all uppity.
Was dropping a whole bunch of clothes to St Vincents around lunchtime, entered the carpark, and there was exactly what I'd proposed...Plovers, "nesting" on an asphalt carpark, and getting all squawky at the cars...that little thing to the left is a chick "hiding"
(*) they swoop, coming within feet/inches of your face with their wing spurs, and if they realise that you aren't fearful of that, they drop to the ground and carry a wing like it's broken so that you will follow them and not their nest.
The apologists for these birds consider their nesting behaviour effective at detecting predators...yep sitting in a carpark, that is virtually the opposite colour of yourself gives you a great view of predators...unlike THIS bird, the tawny frogmouth, which I'm quietly confident is also able to see predators.
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