Everyday Enrichment: Making Life More Interesting for our Avian Residents – Part II
While we saw in a previous blog post that enrichment can be well-thought and planned, it’s also entirely possible that everyday activities can initiate some natural responses.
This is our female Long-Toed Lapwing (Vanellus crassirostris), and believe it or not she currently has a nest of eggs. Most people think that a nesting bird will sit on the eggs very quietly, but as you can see this is not the case. Birds employ a wide array of behaviors to protect their precious eggs, this just happens to be one of the more interesting methods seen in the avian world.
You may notice that the bird is holding her wings out at odd angles and making a great deal of noise. This behavior is designed to attract the attention of a potential predator, trying to get the would-be egg-eater to go after the “injured” bird instead. These birds will put on this display to garner the attention of a predator (or even a keeper needing to clean the exhibit); they will lure the predator away from the nest and then simply fly away.
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