PIRACY IS NOT just for hook-handed humans who sail the seas. When one animal steals food from another, biologists call it kleptoparasitism. (The Greek root klepto means “to steal.”) Some spiders, fish, reptiles, and mammals practice piracy, but the most notorious thieves are birds. Ducks, herons, and hawks are occasional buccaneers. But seabirds are the real professionals, especially frigate-birds, terns, gulls, skuas, jaegers, and sheathbills.
None of these flyers are full-time pirates. With some species, pirate activities supplement normal hunting. But with others, stolen food is a big part of the diet. Certain conditions make kleptoparasitism much more likely. These include lots of potential victims and large quantities of easy-to-steal food.
Most bird pirates are seabirds because breeding colonies seem to be the perfect place for a heist. Multiple species…
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Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites And Puzzles For Children And Kids (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2022