One of the ways butterflies can fool birds - film

[David Rees <>]

Many blue butterflies - like these lovely hairstreaks that are about at Campbell Park at the moment have long tails on their hind wings plus eye spots.  These act as a 'decoy head' for birds.  Very often these butterflies will be head down feeding with the false head waving about.  

You will see many of these butterflies flying about with the tails plus surrounding bit of wing gone - probably down the throat of a frustrated bird. 

see: https://vimeo.com/196144406

David