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Crested Bellbird immobilising caterpillars - RFI

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Subject: Crested Bellbird immobilising caterpillars - RFI
From: "Evan Beaver" <>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 15:48:56 +1000
Did you get any replies to this Frank? It sounds utterly bizarre.

Maybe they hypnotise them, like you can do with chooks?

EB

On 6/2/08, Frank Antram <> wrote:
> Hi BirdingAus-ers
>
>
>
> Could somebody enlighten me as to how Crested Bellbirds immobilize/paralyse
> caterpillars?  Pizzey & Knight state that Crested Bellbird 'places
> immobilised live caterpillars around rim [of nest]' ; MacDonald states that
> before eggs hatch, caterpillars 'are paralysed and stored around nest as
> food for young' ; and Blakers, Davies & Reilly say 'keeps a larder of
> incapacitated but living caterpillars round its nest'.  An internet search
> hasn't helped further.  So, are bellbirds equipped with a poison that they
> secrete from some gland, or do they utilize a poisonous plant, or what?  And
> do the young know that food is ready and waiting when they hatch, or is this
> just forethought on the part of the adults to have a supply of food ready to
> start stuffing down the throats of the hungry youngsters?
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Frank Antram
>
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-- 
Evan Beaver
Lapstone, Blue Mountains, NSW
lat=-33.77, lon=150.64
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