Nature is Metal

Wildlife Wednesday! Kōtare (sacred kingfishers) are brutal predators - especially when they have a lot of hungry mouths to feed at home. This clip is from from earlier in the summer - the kōtare has caught and killed a nz native tauhou (silvereye). The kingfisher repeatedly bashes the tauhou despite it being obviously dead - one possible reason for this is to get rid of as much feathers as possible before feeding it to the chicks. When delivered to the nest, one of the chicks will swallow the tauhou whole, and then will later spit up a pellet of undigested bones and feathers. This may be hard for some to watch, especially since tauhou are native, but healthy ecosystems need to be able to support biodiversity all the way up the food chain. Video filmed by Prof. Jim Dale. You can find more of his videos at and Stay up to date by follow us on our other platforms. Links here: Want to learn more about marine biolo