The Fish That Hunts Pigeons | Planet Earth II | BBC Earth

Summary

Pigeons, highly successful urban birds, thrive in cities due to their lack of fear of humans. In the south of France, they come to rivers to clean their feathers and cool down. However, a predator awaits— the introduced Wells catfish, which has adapted to hunting pigeons by sensing their movements in the water. Originally a bottom-dwelling fish, the catfish has developed a new hunting strategy, targeting pigeons as they bathe. As a result, pigeons are now learning to evade this unexpected aquatic predator.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ Pigeons have lost their fear of humans, allowing them to thrive in cities.
• 🌆 Pigeons are the most successful urban bird, found in large numbers globally.
• 🏞️ In southern France, pigeons come to rivers to bathe and clean their feathers.
• 🌡️ Bathing helps pigeons cool down and remove city dust from their plumage.
• ⚠️ However, while bathing, pigeons face a predator in the form of the Wells catfish.
• 🐟 The Wells catfish was introduced to the area 40 years ago and has since flourished.
• 🎣 The catfish have nearly wiped out local fish stocks and now target pigeons.
• 👁️‍🗨️ With poor eyesight, the catfish rely on their barbels to detect pigeons' movements.
• 🧠 This is a new hunting strategy for the normally bottom-dwelling Wells catfish.
• 📚 After living in cities for a thousand years, pigeons are now learning to avoid this new threat.

Q & A

What has enabled pigeons to spread into cities everywhere?

Pigeons have spread into cities everywhere due to their loss of fear of humans, which has allowed them to thrive in urban environments.

Why do pigeons come to the river in the south of France?

Pigeons come to the river to bathe, clean their flight feathers of city dust, and cool themselves down.

What predator poses a threat to pigeons while they bathe?

The Wells catfish, which has been introduced to the river and developed a taste for pigeons, poses a threat while the pigeons bathe.

How were Wells catfish introduced, and what impact have they had?

Wells catfish were introduced about 40 years ago, and they have proliferated, virtually exterminating local fish stocks.

How do Wells catfish detect pigeons while hunting?

Wells catfish use their barbels to sense the movements of pigeons, as their eyesight is poor.

What new hunting strategy have Wells catfish developed?

Wells catfish, normally bottom-dwelling fish, have developed a new strategy of hunting pigeons at the water's surface.

Why are pigeons vulnerable to Wells catfish while bathing?

As pigeons bathe, oil from their plumage flows downstream, which alerts the Wells catfish to their presence.

What is unique about this hunting behavior of Wells catfish?

It is considered a radical new hunting strategy, as Wells catfish typically stay at the bottom of rivers and are now preying on birds.

How long have pigeons been living in urban environments?

Pigeons have been living in cities for about a thousand years.

What are pigeons now learning to avoid due to the threat from Wells catfish?

Pigeons are learning to avoid being caught by Wells catfish when bathing in rivers.