The Hoopoe's Smelly Family

BirdNote Daily

The Eurasian Hoopoe isn’t picky about where it nests. But whether it builds a home in a tree cavity, termite mound, or nest box, it’ll be stinky. Mother birds coat their eggs in an antimicrobial secretion that smells like rotten eggs. Then, when the chicks are hatched, they paint the nest cavity with their poop. They even use it as a projectile to ward off predators. Changing diapers doesn’t seem so bad in comparison.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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