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Re: Bird behavior, vision



Mammalian revenge:

Popa-Lisseanu et al 2007 - Bats' Conquest of a Formidable Foraging
Niche: The Myriads of Nocturnally Migrating Songbirds. PLoS ONE 2(2):
e205. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000205

[]s,

Roberto Takata

On 2/14/07, Tommy Tyrberg <tommy.tyrberg@norrkoping.mail.telia.com> wrote:
At 07:35 2007-02-13, Donna Braginetz wrote:
>LISTERS --
>
>Go here for a series of amazing photos of a heron capturing a gopher.
>I'm not accustomed to seeing herons hunt rodents, much less rodents of
>unusual size! Also, check out the way the prey has been speared .

I agree that a gopher is a rather large prey for a Ardea herodias. However
it's very close european relative Ardea cinerea will happily eat just about
anything it can kill and swallow. Mammalian prey includes mice, water-voles
(which are largish, up to ca 200 mm), field-voles, water-shrews and even
moles! They can be really serious predators on Little Grebes.

Tommy Tyrberg