Deceptively small: The fantail flycatcher is fiercely protective of its young. | Photo Credit: Photo: Flickr
I once happened to witness a white-browed Fantail Flycatcher that kept fluffing out its feathers, hopping up and down and voicing her anger agitatedly, to an inquisitive cat 20 times her size, which resignedly turned tail and walked away. Then, along came a crow, hovering over the same bush. The little fantail shot out of its hiding place, pecked the crow, and drove him away. That is when I realised that the fantail was guarding her babies in her nest inside the bush. And zealously how.
Attention: The sentry in place. | Photo Credit: Photo: Wikimedia Commons
For the same reason, summer is when I have to step cautiously onto my balcony. There is a mango tree just outside, a favourite location for crows to build their nests. Experience has taught me to arm myself with a book which I place on my head each time I step out for a whiff of fresh air, so that I don’t get pecked on the head with a loud ‘Caw, caw,’ which I guess translates to ‘keep away! Don’t you know my babies are in their nest?’
Defence mechanism
Laudable indeed: Lapwings make great con artists, and go to great lengths to protect their young ones. | Photo Credit: Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Lapwing mothers display a different strategy, which I witnessed got to witness just outside Pune, with friends. The bird kept flying over our heads, following us wherever we went, and renting the air with a loud ‘Peewit, peewit.’ Little did we realise it was warning us. When we actually came upon its stone-coloured eggs, it was too much for the bird. She simply flopped one of her wings limply and nose-dived into the ground. We understood this pretense of being injured was to draw our attention away from her precious eggs!
Peace lovers: Hornbills prefer avoiding conflict and sealing themselves in. | Photo Credit: Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The female hornbills believe in keeping enemies away from their eggs and chicks by avoiding conflict and sealing themselves up in a tree hollow, except for a tiny slit, with the help of their male partners, using their own poop and mud.
All about the ostrich: Smart as a tick. | Photo Credit: Photo: Pxhere
The male ostrich has not one, but a whole harem of about five female partners. All of them lay their eggs in the same depression which the male bird scrapes out. Thus, the nest may contain as many as 50 – 60 eggs. The favourite female partner in the harem has the privilege of rolling her own eggs towards the centre of the clutch so that, in case some hungry predator came along, it would have access to the other eggs on the periphery, not her own. Over and above this, she takes the precaution of rolling away one of the eggs in the clutch to some distance away, as a sacrifice.
There are many other stories of bravery and sacrifice among the feathered parents but we, as mindful humans, should ensure that they do not get so distressed while guarding their young ones.
