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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Secret of the birds: nearly 300 species fool foes the same way

The ‘broken wing’ trick has evolved in more than 50 bird families, hinting at its success in protecting eggs and chicks.
A Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is doing a broken-wing display to distract predators from its nest.

The semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is one of many shorebirds that feigns injury to lure predators away from its nest. Credit: Chris Schenk/Buiten-beeld/Minden Pictures

A surprising number of bird species — at least 285 belonging to 52 families — playact being injured to protect their nests1.

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Nature 604, 11 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00890-1

References

  1. De Framond, L., Brumm, H., Thompson, W. I., Drabing, S. M. & Francis, C. D. Proc. R. Soc. B https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0058 (2022).

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