Robins relish big, juicy earthworms, right? Well, how about
the Elk River robin that visited a grape jelly feeder frequently this
summer -- and not just for a sweet treat. He'd dunk a worm into the
jelly, then gulp it down. The reader who sent this tale noted, "We
enjoyed watching this epicure enjoying his gourmet meal."
We humans may have more rigid ideas about bird diets than birds
themselves do. Many birds are eager learners when it comes to adding new
items to their regimen. They watch each other, too, for clues about
what's good to eat, which is probably how the robin caught on to the
jelly. He'd seen an oriole or catbird slurping up the purple stuff and
decided to try adding a condiment to his arthropod meal.
Other epicurean experimenters include some south Minneapolis crows that
gathered at a back-yard picnic table for popcorn (unsalted) and fresh
water. "They'd take the popcorn and either dump it into the water before
eating it, or hold a kernel in their beaks and dunk it. This went on
for 20 minutes and I was laughing out loud," writes a crow fan.
Continued: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/172365611.html
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