Australian Magpie 'Dunks' Its Food Before Eating, Researchers Find 7 September 2017

Australian magpie 'dunks' its food before eating, researchers find 7 September 2017

Scientists at the University of York, in collaboration The adult male bird appeared to eat the insect with researchers at Western Sydney University, under a nearby bush, before returning to take a have shown that the Australian Magpie may 'dunk' second insect, repeating the action, but this time its food in water before eating, a process that leaving the 'dunked' insect at the side of the puddle. appears to be 'copied' by its offspring. The team then observed a juvenile bird that had The research could potentially shed more light on been watching the adult male pick up the discarded the dietary systems of some bird species and how insect and mimic the actions of the adult male they respond to the defences of its prey. before eating the insect whole.

Food dunking is common behaviour in a range of Eleanor continued: "Although more research is bird species, but has never been observed in the needed to understand why the bird dunks its food Australian Magpie before. Not only was it observed before eating, our initial assumptions are that it in the adult bird, but the offspring were seen to responds to the 'nasty tasting' chemical defences of copy the 'dunking' process. the insect, by dunking it in water and making it more palatable. Dunking is thought to be an important food- process for birds, but it remains unclear as to why "It was exciting to see that this process was copied some birds do this and some do not. One theory is by the juvenile bird, suggesting that this behaviour that it helps moisten the food to make it more could be socially learnt. More research can now be digestible and other theories suggest that it might done to determine how common this behaviour is help make unpalatable insects less toxic to eat. from adult birds through to its offspring."

Eleanor Drinkwater, PhD student at the University The research is published in the journal Australian of York's Department of Biology, said: "Food Field Ornithology. dunking has been seen in at least 25 bird species, particularly in birds that have high cognitive More information: A novel observation of food abilities. dunking in the Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen. Australian Field Ornithology. "The Australian Magpie is an intelligent animal, www.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo however we were not expecting to see dunking displayed by this bird. In a separate study on predator-prey interactions between katydids and Australian Magpies we were observing a family of Provided by University of York magpie at a site near Kosciuszko National Park to see what they would do when offered the insect.

"We presented the wild magpie with a local insect called Mountain Katydid, which is thought to be distasteful due to the toxins it emits. The adult magpie first dragged and beat the insect on the ground before carrying it to a nearby puddle, dunking it and thrashing under water."

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APA citation: Australian magpie 'dunks' its food before eating, researchers find (2017, September 7) retrieved 30 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2017-09-australian-magpie-dunks-food.html

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