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Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_06AD_01D0AC63.14ADD220 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where do you live? From: Ian Woodman=20 Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 3:10 PM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 Subject: [NatureNS] Pied-billed Grebe behaviour I=E2=80=99m hoping there=E2=80=99s an expert on Pied-billed Grebes on = naturens who can provide insight. I=E2=80=99ve been watching a pond for the past month & a half with = nesting Grebes. Last year they fledged two broods (or there were two = families on the pond successively). This year I saw two Grebes early in May for about a week and then only = one until this past Monday when she finally came out of the reeds with 5 = little ones tagging along. So now there were two adults to be seen but = they were never together. Wednesday I took my usual daily de-stressing = trip to the pond to see them all. I was able to find one adult with = (eventually) one baby (but no sign of the other 4) which she was = dutifully feeding when the male flew over beside them, paddled around = next to them for a few seconds and then proceeded to viciously attack = the baby. The little guy managed to get away and popped up 20 or 30 feet = away and the male again went over and attacked the baby. I only had my = binns with me and no camera but the last image I saw was the male with = the baby=E2=80=99s head firmly clamped in his mouth as he thrashed it = about. Again, somehow he managed to survive and much later I found him = snuggling up to mom for a while before she started catching food for it. All the while the female made no attempt to stop the attacks. She = followed them around but never intervened. When I returned to the pond Thursday there were no babies at all to be = found. Needless to say I am NOT happy with him!!! I know male lions will kill young to force the female to go back into = estrus so that he can pass his genes along but I=E2=80=99ve never heard = of this behaviour in birds. Does anyone have any kind of insight on this? Is this normal behaviour = in Grebes? Do other birds practice filicide? Thanks Ian Woodman ------=_NextPart_000_06AD_01D0AC63.14ADD220 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY=20 style=3D"WORD-WRAP: break-word; FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: Calibri, = sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space"=20 dir=3Dltr> <DIV dir=3Dltr> <DIV style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> <DIV>Where do you live?</DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D'FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: = "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; = DISPLAY: inline'> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt tahoma"> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <DIV style=3D"font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A = title=3Dcalicoangus@bell.net=20 href=3D"mailto:calicoangus@bell.net">Ian Woodman</A> </DIV> <DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 19, 2015 3:10 PM</DIV> <DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> = </DIV> <DIV><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Pied-billed Grebe = behaviour</DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D'FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: = "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; = DISPLAY: inline'> <DIV>I=E2=80=99m hoping there=E2=80=99s an expert on Pied-billed Grebes = on naturens who can=20 provide insight.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I=E2=80=99ve been watching a pond for the past month & a half = with nesting=20 Grebes. Last year they fledged two broods (or there were two families on = the=20 pond successively).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This year I saw two Grebes early in May for about a week and then = only one=20 until this past Monday when she finally came out of the reeds with 5 = little ones=20 tagging along. So now there were two adults to be seen but they were = never=20 together. Wednesday I took my usual daily de-stressing trip to the pond = to see=20 them all. I was able to find one adult with (eventually) one baby (but = no sign=20 of the other 4) which she was dutifully feeding when the male flew over = beside=20 them, paddled around next to them for a few seconds and then proceeded = to=20 viciously attack the baby. The little guy managed to get away and popped = up 20=20 or 30 feet away and the male again went over and attacked the baby. I = only had=20 my binns with me and no camera but the last image I saw was the male = with the=20 baby=E2=80=99s head firmly clamped in his mouth as he thrashed it about. = Again, somehow=20 he managed to survive and much later I found him snuggling up to mom for = a while=20 before she started catching food for it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>All the while the female made no attempt to stop the attacks. She = followed=20 them around but never intervened.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When I returned to the pond Thursday there were no babies at all to = be=20 found. Needless to say I am NOT happy with him!!!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I know male lions will kill young to force the female to go back = into=20 estrus so that he can pass his genes along but I=E2=80=99ve never heard = of this=20 behaviour in birds.</DIV> <DIV>Does anyone have any kind of insight on this? Is this normal = behaviour in=20 Grebes? Do other birds practice filicide?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks</DIV> <DIV>Ian Woodman</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_06AD_01D0AC63.14ADD220--
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