Abstract
OBSERVED instances of birds capturing butterflies are so few that I venture to think the following worth putting on record. On the evening of August 12, at about 6.30 p.m., I was walking beside a dyke on Ludham Marsh, Norfolk, when my attention was attracted by the alarm notes of a pair of sedge-warblers in the reeds. I stood still, and soon caught sight of both birds within about six yards of me. Each had a butterfly in its mouth, and with my field-glass I was able to identify the species as a meadow brown (E. Janira) and a small white (P. rapae). From the behaviour of the birds, and my observation of them on subsequent days, I have no doubt that they were feeding their nestlings, though I was unable to find the nest. I may add that at the time most of the butterflies had taken up their quarters for the night on stems of reeds, &c., and that very many of the butterflies which I observed during the daytime on the marshes had very ragged and chipped wings. These injuries may have been caused by wind and contact with twigs, thorns, &c., but they were quite compatible with repeated ineffectual pecks and snips from the beaks of small birds.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
LATTER, O. Sedge-Warblers Seizing Butterflies. Nature 60, 520 (1899). https://doi.org/10.1038/060520e0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/060520e0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.