A little wonder, every day
Brown Thornbills Distract Nest Predators
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The Brown Thornbill (*Acanthiza pusilla*) has an unusual way to protect its nestlings. When a Pied Currawong (*Strepera graculina*) attacks the nest, adult thornbills mimic other birds’ aerial alarm calls—signals associated with a hawk overhead. The currawong may scan the sky or flee, delaying its attack and giving the nestlings time to escape. Field experiments showed that this deceptive signal distracts the predator; it is not an actual hawk call.