Birds love Caterpillars

Do Birds love Caterpillars? Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley & Ged Tranter

caterpillar vs
Striated Pardalote
(Pardalotus striatus)
guess who won
(Photo: courtesy of
Craig Nieminski,
Darwin, Northern Territory)
another caterpillar vs
Striated Pardalote
(Pardalotus striatus)
(Photo: courtesy of
Craig Nieminski,
Darwin, Northern Territory)
another juicy caterpillar vs Australian Magpie
(Gymnorhina tibicen)
(Photo: courtesy of
Harold McQueen,
Goodna, Queensland)
Danaus plexippus
caterpillar vs
Black-Eared Cuckoo
(Chrysococcyx osculans)
who said these caterpillars are poisonous?
(Photo: courtesy of
Ged Tranter,
Brisbane, Queensland)

The cuckoos typically find food by sitting still and watching. They'll then fly to a branch, or into grasses below and emerge with a caterpillar. They'll then sit on a branch and proceed to slap the caterpillar against the branch to disable it, and to dislodge as many bristles, etc., as possible, before wolfing it down in one gulp.

a caterpillar vs Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	another caterpillar vs Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	yet another caterpillar vs Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	another caterpillar vs Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)
Doratifera quadriguttata caterpillar vs Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) who said these caterpillars sting? (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	Doratifera quadriguttata caterpillar vs Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) one just needs to hold them carefully (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	Epicoma protrahens caterpillar vs Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)	another caterpillar vs Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) (Photo: courtesy of Ged Tranter, Brisbane, Queensland)