TIL: These Birds Trick Others Into Raising Their Gigantic Kids | Today I Learned

[Music]

[Music] turns out there’s lots of different

turns out there’s lots of different

turns out there’s lots of different birds that don’t build a nests at all

birds that don’t build a nests at all

birds that don’t build a nests at all they only lay their eggs in other birds

they only lay their eggs in other birds

they only lay their eggs in other birds nests this behavior is called brood

nests this behavior is called brood

nests this behavior is called brood parasitism and a trick is you have to

parasitism and a trick is you have to

parasitism and a trick is you have to make an egg that looks like all the

make an egg that looks like all the

make an egg that looks like all the other eggs otherwise the mother bird

other eggs otherwise the mother bird

other eggs otherwise the mother bird will kick that egg out of her nest and

will kick that egg out of her nest and

will kick that egg out of her nest and just raise her young but if the egg

just raise her young but if the egg

just raise her young but if the egg looks exactly like all the other eggs

looks exactly like all the other eggs

looks exactly like all the other eggs and she doesn’t have any other option

and she doesn’t have any other option

and she doesn’t have any other option than to raise them all as if they were

than to raise them all as if they were

than to raise them all as if they were her own if you don’t have a nest then

her own if you don’t have a nest then

her own if you don’t have a nest then you can invest a lot of your effort into

you can invest a lot of your effort into

you can invest a lot of your effort into producing X cow birds for example which

producing X cow birds for example which

producing X cow birds for example which are then one of the most common brood

are then one of the most common brood

are then one of the most common brood parasites in the u.s. they can lay an

parasites in the u.s. they can lay an

parasites in the u.s. they can lay an egg every single day like a chicken and

egg every single day like a chicken and

egg every single day like a chicken and just put it in nest here and that’s

just put it in nest here and that’s

just put it in nest here and that’s there they don’t have anything to do

there they don’t have anything to do

there they don’t have anything to do with the raising of their offspring at

with the raising of their offspring at

with the raising of their offspring at all they leave that entirely to the

all they leave that entirely to the

all they leave that entirely to the mother of the nest where they deposited

mother of the nest where they deposited

mother of the nest where they deposited the egg

the egg

the egg the trick with brood parasitism is the

the trick with brood parasitism is the

the trick with brood parasitism is the chick of the brood parasite will grow

chick of the brood parasite will grow

chick of the brood parasite will grow much faster than that of the chicks of

much faster than that of the chicks of

much faster than that of the chicks of the actual nest it gets really big and

the actual nest it gets really big and

the actual nest it gets really big and it’s like adaptation is to like kick

it’s like adaptation is to like kick

it’s like adaptation is to like kick even before it can open as its kicking

even before it can open as its kicking

even before it can open as its kicking and just kicks the other eggs out

even if the other chicks hatch and

even if the other chicks hatch and survive it’s way bigger and its mouth is

survive it’s way bigger and its mouth is

survive it’s way bigger and its mouth is way bigger and so when mom comes to feed

way bigger and so when mom comes to feed

way bigger and so when mom comes to feed she sees this giant target mouth of the

she sees this giant target mouth of the

she sees this giant target mouth of the brood parasite and all her chicks are

brood parasite and all her chicks are

brood parasite and all her chicks are buried underneath but she doesn’t know

buried underneath but she doesn’t know

buried underneath but she doesn’t know which one is which

which one is which

which one is which in fact sometimes the brood parasite

in fact sometimes the brood parasite

in fact sometimes the brood parasite chick is much much bigger than the

chick is much much bigger than the

chick is much much bigger than the actual mama bird so she just thinks she

actual mama bird so she just thinks she

actual mama bird so she just thinks she has kind of a freak for a kid and it

has kind of a freak for a kid and it

has kind of a freak for a kid and it just goes with it I guess