Page 98 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

DEVOTION AMONG ANIMALS

Some birds pretend to be injured to draw predators' attention
away from their offspring and onto themselves. Seeing a predator
approach, a female bird quietly sneaks away from her nest. When
she comes near the predator, she will beat the ground with one wing
and cry out as if in pain. This makes her appear to have been injured
and therefore, vulnerable. However, she's always careful to leave
enough space between herself and the predator to let her escape.
Her "performance" invariably attracts the predator's attention. It ap-
proaches in the expectation of an easy meal, not realizing it's being
led away from the bird's nest. When it's safely out of reach, the fe-
male bird will stop pretending to be injured and, just as the predator
reaches it, will fly off.
This theatrical show is very convincing indeed; it fools dogs,
cats, snakes and even other birds. Many ground-nesting birds pro-
tect their offspring in this way. When a predator approaches, for in-
stance, the mother duck pretends to be unable to fly, beating her
wings wildly around the lake but always making sure she keeps a

In an act of great devotion, some birds pretend to be injured in order to draw
attention away from their young, but endanger their own lives by this action.

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