Interesting.
Have any terns been observed pecking/tearing/breaking up fish? [I have observed
feral pigeons and noisy miners breaking up bits of bread in parks, so wondered
if terns had a similar capacity for fish that were too big to swallow whole].
LK
> Gavin Goodyear wrote:
>
> G'day all,
>
> While visiting the new Kakadu wader roost at Bribie Island this morning, I
> noticed a Gull-billed Tern attempting to swallow a small - 100mm - Striped
> Catfish (Plotosus lineatus). It made two attempts at actually swallowing the
> fish over the 5 minutes it was in view but brought it back up both times. Most
> of this time it was trying to keep its catch from the bullying Silver Gulls
> and eventually flew out of sight with its intended meal.
>
> I have observed this species once before trying to eat catfish a couple of
> years ago at Hayes Landing, Lake Wivenhoe in the Brisbane River valley. A
> Gull-billed Tern attempted to swallow a Blue ( Salmon ) Catfish (Arius
> graeffei) approx. 90mm long. After several attempts at swallowing its prey, it
> must have decided it wasn't going to happen and took off leaving it's prey
> behind.
>
> Gavin
>
> Petrie.Qld
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