Flush-pursuers fake out fleeing prey

Birds that advertise their presence to potential prey may improve their chances of catching a meal, a new study reports.

Most birds are stealthy when hunting insects, moving as little as possible to catch their would-be meals by surprise. A class of birds known as flush-pursuers, however, uses the movement of their conspicuously patterned tails and wings to elicit escape responses in nearby insects, such as flies.