Bit of a double oddity at Mungalla Station the other day. Watched Australasian Pipit (
Anthus novaeseelandiae), parent and immature, as adult bird foraged and fed youngster.
The young bird sat silent as parent scoured nearby ground for insects. Even when food was plucked up from almost under its nose the passive and unprecocious youngster did not try to forage for itself. Odd. Perhaps this one young bird is a very slow learner. It's not as if grabbing insects from the dirt is a high skill. Or does it need help with prey ID?
Also odd, that in several years and hundreds of Pipit sightings this was my first undoubted view of parent-immature feeding. And I can't explain why I've never stumbled on a nest. Seems I might also be a slow learner.
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