Posted on May 1, 2024
For birds, siblinghood can be a matter of life or death
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https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/ [login to see] /bird-siblings-siblingcide-boobies-woodpeckers-life-death
Human sibling relationships can get pretty complicated, but in the world of birds, siblings can be so impactful that their existence can mean the difference between life and death.
That's because avian nest-mates sometimes forge close, collaborative relationships that last their entire lives.
Other times, after an egg hatches, a baby bird might immediately get killed by its older brother or sister.
Human sibling relationships can get pretty complicated, but in the world of birds, siblings can be so impactful that their existence can mean the difference between life and death.
That's because avian nest-mates sometimes forge close, collaborative relationships that last their entire lives.
Other times, after an egg hatches, a baby bird might immediately get killed by its older brother or sister.
For birds, siblinghood can be a matter of life or death
Posted from npr.org
Wildlife
Birding
Posted 16 d ago
Responses: 1
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel So a few days after laying an egg, the mother lays a second one, as a kind of insurance policy in case the first egg fails. But if the first egg hatches successfully, then the backup isn't needed and it would be too much work to feed a second hungry mouth. That's why nature — in the form of the older sibling — simply kills the second chick off, as soon as it hatches.
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