"Lazy birds" lay eggs in any of the grooves, and this bird does not build its own nest but lays its eggs directly on the branches. Aren't you afraid of being eaten by natural enemies and cutting off your children and grandchildren?
The white gull, a peculiar bird that lives on tropical islands, has a unique way of breeding – instead of weaving elaborate nests between branches, they lay eggs directly on the trunks.
This seemingly risky behavior actually contains deep meaning.
Living on an island with scarce resources, it is difficult for the white gull to find enough materials to build a safe nest.
As a result, they have opted for the strategy of laying eggs directly on the trunk, which not only reduces the time spent searching for materials and building nests, but also saves valuable energy.
However, this way also means that their eggs are more susceptible to external factors.
Whenever a breeze blows, it can cause eggs to roll off the trunk.
Despite this, the white gulls do not seem to have learned their lesson, and when the eggs fall, they do not give up on this method of reproduction, but try to lay eggs again.
Behind this seemingly stubborn behavior may be a trade-off in the evolution of the species – the choice between reproducing offspring and protecting every egg.
In addition to these, this behavior of the white gull is also in stark contrast to many other birds.
Magpies and weavers, for example, are very good at nesting, and their nests are large and sturdy, providing good protection for their young.
Turtle doves, on the other hand, have adopted a different strategy, they are not good at nesting, so they choose to have more children.
Several litters can be born each year, and although the survival rate of the cubs is low, there will always be some offspring that survive to adulthood.
There are also birds such as hoopoes, which will even take advantage of other people's nests or create unique living spaces.
The hoopoe will choose a nest and smear the droppings everywhere to make the whole nest smelly and scare off other birds and keep themselves safe.
In fact, the hoopoe's "smell" is also a way of self-protection, because the odor they secrete contains an antibiotic that can help eggs and chicks resist microbial attacks.
Returning to the white gulls, although they are not good at nesting, in the special environment of the island, it has become an adaptive strategy for survival.
Due to the lack of trees and other nesting materials on the island, the white gulls have to choose to lay their eggs on tree trunks or rocks.
This adaptive evolution allowed the white gully to find its own ecological niche on the island.
After the young birds are born, the parents of the white gull will feed them by preying on fish and shrimp.
Newborn chicks cling to branches with their sharp claws to minimize the risk of falling.
Although this increases the chances of young birds being exposed to danger, it also trains them to cope with harsh environments.
In the past, sailors at sea used to judge whether there was land nearby by looking at the fish in the mouth of the white gulll.
Nowadays, with the exploitation of natural resources by humans, the survival of the white gull has been threatened to a certain extent.
However, due to the growing awareness of the importance of living in harmony with nature, and the high reproductive capacity of the white gulls themselves, the white gulls are not currently at risk of extinction.
