There are several other birds that will do similar things to draw attention away from the nest. Most are ground nesting so they need that protective behavior. A few birds are colored so that they can hide. The Whip poor will and the Chucks will widow are two who are very difficult to see in the daylight. The patterns of brown and buff on their backs blend into the bark of the tree limbs where they rest during the daylight hours. Many other night birds are colored that way. The owl is difficult to see against the trunk of a tree or the inside of a dark shed. If one of a pair of birds is brightly colored, you can be sure one will be duller. The one who sits on the nest must be inconspicuous. The male cardinal is brilliant in his red feathers while his mate is Quakerish in her somber gray. The painted bunting is downright gaudy while his mate is demure in her shades of green. Grackles and hummingbirds, tanagers and orioles, all have bright males and dull females. I've never seen critters where the female is bright and the male is dull except maybe humans. We've all heard
of playing possum and since they are pretty plentiful around here may
have The hog nose snake here in Central Texas that tries to make you think it is dead. If cornered it will flip itself over on its back as if lifeless. If you are so bold as to flip it back on its tummy, it will promptly flip back, much to the amusement of any children watching. Sometimes the behavior of certain critters serves to stake out their territory.Many critters are very protective of their feeding area or nesting area.The hummingbirds around the house have a running battle all summer over the feeder, but that's another story. © Copyright 1986,1996 by Sulfur Creek Enterprises, Austin, Texas |
seen one play dead.The only possum I've ever been close to here on Sulfur
Creek was a young one who came up to the glass door and inspected the
crew while they inspected it through the glass. That critter had no
inclination to play dead even though the dog barked at it and the crew
tapped on the glass.  Return
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