Until Charles Darwin observed finches at work in the Galapagos, many members of our own species had believed that tool-usage was a uniquely human ability/trait.
The known list of non-human tool-users is now enormous.
It includes many mammals (not only primates), birds, fish, cephalods, reptiles, and insects.
One of them is an Australian raptor which deploys rocks to crack emu eggs.
You may be surprised to know that the pictured individual did not learn the technique from his or her parents, nor did this captive bird’s human “keepers” train him or her to do it.
The photo (copyright Doug Spencer) was taken at the Alice Springs Desert Park’s afternoon “nature show” on the afternoon of 14 June 2023.
The nature show – as is true of the Desert Park, generally – is both a tourist attraction and an educational effort.
The Desert Park is equally rewarding in its zoological, botanical and cultural aspects, and is beautifully located; any visitor to Alice would do well to spend some hours there.
(a future multi-image post will show you more)
Primarily, the nature show showcases arid zone raptors, in oft-spectacular action.
Pictured above is a young black-breasted buzzard, Hamirostra melanosternon.
S/he (males and females look alike) was raised at the Desert Park, and therefore had never seen its parents drop rocks on emu eggs.
Staff wondered what would happen if this individual were to encounter an “emu egg”, so they presented him/her with a plastic, almost-replica thereof.
Apparently, the relevant behaviour is innate – the pictured individual promptly proceeded, repeatedly, to drop rocks upon the “egg” until it “cracked”.
Within the “egg” was a food treat.
So, our hero’s/heroine’s behaviour was rewarded, and therefore worth repeating; presumably, by now the bird knows full well that every effective deployment of rock on “egg” will yield food.
Still, it is remarkable that the untrained young bird had immediately known “what to do”.
An adult black-breasted buzzard is one of Australia’s largest raptors, and this warm arid zone specialist is one of the world’s larger kites.
Its nest is the largest of any raptor’s, worldwide.
Discover more about “Australia’s craftiest raptor” via this little article from Australian Geographic and this Wikipedia entry.
Click here to learn a whole lot more about non-human tool-users.
Remarkable!