Amazonian bird may act the part of its hairy caterpillar disguise
Rare images show how baby cinereous mourner deceives potential predators
By Susan Milius
The orange chick of an Amazonian bird looks a lot like a toxic caterpillar. Now a rare peek into a nest suggests the chick may act the part, too.
Adults of the bird called the cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) are gray with a few brownish spots on the shoulders. “Boring,” acknowledges Gustavo Londoño of Universidad Icesi in Cali, Colombia. Yet the chicks, which are frail and reside in leafy nests that look like open cups, boast vivid, attention-grabbing color. A recent survey suggests that some 80 percent of cup nests in the region get attacked, Londoño says.