Visits to the parkland will never be the same again , as wild Mallard duck ( Anas platyrhynchos ) have been document for the first time ever hunting down and exhaust other birds at Trei Ape reservoir in southwest Romania .
The inquiry into this elusive , never - before - read phenomenon can be get hold in the in the journalWaterbirds .
The new survey documents an overcast solar day , when an 11 - hard group of Mallards was spotted repeatedly attacking , drowning , and then crunch down on a sister Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) bird . Another sighting also saw Mallards assail then consuming a Grey Wagtail ( Motacilla cinerea ) . Both species are belittled , common doll , and it is remember the duck’s egg could catch them because they were immature struggling entrant .
Typically , Mallard ducks live on a simple diet of aquatic works living and insects . The only vertebrates Mallards are know to also occasionally eat are Pisces and amphibians . This behavior is particularly unexpected since Mallard ducks are rarely aggressive or predatory in both the gaga and farming environments , specially compared to other duck coinage like Muscovy Ducks .
One theory the researchers have is that the Mallards were struggling with a lack of fauna proteins , perhaps due to acute competition for insect larva by fish enter for angling . In a do-or-die bid for high - protein nutrient during egg - laying season , the ducks turn to eating other birds .
“ Hopefully , there will be more reports from readers that have seen similar affair , ” Dr Silviu Petrovan , lead generator of the study from the University of Cambridge , tell apart IFLScience . “ [ We ’ve ] already got two [ new account ] from New Zealand , 11 years apart , which is very interesting and shows that Mallard can actually learn to hunt dame and then probably teach each other . ”
So , if you ’ve ever document Mallard duck partake in in this kind of predatory doings , Dr Silviu Petrovan would wish to listen from you .
This rarified , newly - documented behavior comes with some concern , though . The research worker noted the predation of Bronx cheer by Mallards could increase transmitting of pathogens such as sponge or Salmonella , which is worrying as ducks are eaten by humans . The risk is scummy since this demeanour looks like exceedingly rare , however , the transmission of “ hemipteron ” has been shown before among razz that predate other bird metal money .
Nom nom nom . pic courtesy of Silviu Petrovan / Mihai Leu
[ H / T : BBC ]
