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

BBC Earth

24 Jun 202103:53

Summary

TLDRPigeons, 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.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ Pigeons: The Most Successful Urban Bird

This paragraph introduces how pigeons have become incredibly successful in urban environments due to their lack of fear of humans. It highlights their behavior in the south of France, where they come to the river to bathe, cleaning their feathers from city dust and cooling down. However, this seemingly peaceful activity puts them at risk of predation.

🐟 A New Predator: The Wells Catfish

The paragraph shifts focus to a new predator, the Wells catfish, introduced to the area 40 years ago. This species has thrived, nearly wiping out local fish populations and developing a surprising new hunting strategy—preying on pigeons. The catfish detects pigeons by sensing the oils from their feathers in the water. The Wells catfish, typically a bottom-dweller, has adapted to a new hunting method, posing a threat to pigeons.

⚖️ Survival in a Changing Urban Landscape

After centuries of thriving in cities, pigeons now face a new challenge: avoiding this unexpected aquatic predator. Despite having coexisted with humans for a thousand years, urban pigeons must learn to evade the predatory Wells catfish, which has taken advantage of their vulnerability during bathing. The paragraph emphasizes the adaptability of both species in the face of changing urban ecosystems.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Pigeons

Pigeons are described as the most successful urban bird, thriving in cities worldwide. Their lack of fear towards humans has contributed to their proliferation in urban environments. In the video, pigeons are shown bathing in a river in the south of France, a behavior that highlights their urban adaptability and cleanliness.

💡Urban bird

The term 'urban bird' refers to bird species that have adapted to living in cities, often coexisting with humans. Pigeons are highlighted as a prime example of this, as they are widespread in urban areas and have adjusted to city life, including using rivers to clean themselves.

💡Fear of humans

Pigeons' lack of fear of humans has been a major factor in their ability to thrive in urban environments. This fearless behavior allows them to move freely through cities, contributing to their success as an urban species. However, this trait also makes them more vulnerable to predators, as seen in the video.

💡Bathing

Bathing is an essential activity for pigeons, allowing them to clean their feathers of city dust and cool down. In the video, pigeons are shown coming to a river in France to perform this task, but this action inadvertently makes them susceptible to predation by catfish.

💡Wells catfish

The Wells catfish is a large predatory fish introduced to the river ecosystem 40 years ago. The catfish has adapted to hunting pigeons, a unique behavior that differs from its typical bottom-dwelling nature. It has become a significant predator, contributing to the depletion of local fish stocks and developing a taste for pigeons.

💡Predation

Predation refers to the act of hunting and consuming other animals. In the video, the Wells catfish is the predator, hunting pigeons that come to bathe in the river. This predation is made possible by the pigeons' lack of fear and the catfish's ability to detect their movements.

💡Barbles

Barbles are sensory organs found on catfish that help them detect movement and sense their surroundings. In the video, the Wells catfish uses its barbels to locate and capture pigeons in the river, compensating for its poor eyesight.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation refers to changes in behavior or physical traits that allow a species to better survive in its environment. Both pigeons and Wells catfish demonstrate adaptation: pigeons have adapted to city life, while the catfish has adapted to hunting a new type of prey (pigeons) in response to changes in its environment.

💡River ecosystem

The river ecosystem plays a crucial role in the interaction between pigeons and Wells catfish. Pigeons come to the river to clean themselves, while the catfish uses the river to hunt them. The introduction of the Wells catfish has disrupted the natural balance of the river ecosystem, reducing local fish populations.

💡Hunting strategy

The Wells catfish has developed a 'radical new hunting strategy' by preying on pigeons, an unconventional behavior for a bottom-dwelling fish. This shift in hunting tactics demonstrates the catfish’s ability to adapt to new food sources, making it a successful predator in its environment.

Highlights

Pigeons have adapted to urban environments, becoming the most successful city-dwelling bird.

In the south of France, pigeons visit rivers to bathe, cleaning off city dust and cooling down.

As pigeons bathe, oil from their plumage flows downstream, creating a trail detectable by predators.

The Wells catfish, introduced to the region 40 years ago, has flourished and now hunts pigeons.

Originally a bottom-dwelling fish, the Wells catfish developed a unique hunting strategy targeting pigeons.

The pigeons’ lack of fear of predators, which helped them thrive in cities, now makes them vulnerable to the catfish.

Wells catfish rely on poor eyesight but use their barbels to sense the movements of their prey.

The catfish were introduced as an invasive species, leading to the depletion of local fish stocks.

This new hunting behavior represents a radical adaptation in the Wells catfish's strategy.

Urban pigeons, after a thousand years of living in cities, now face a new predator from the water.

The spread of Wells catfish into urban rivers has altered the balance of ecosystems.

Pigeons have not yet adapted fully to avoiding this new predator, leaving them vulnerable during bathing.

The Wells catfish’s ability to detect prey by movement, not sight, highlights its evolved hunting skills.

The catfish's predation on pigeons showcases how invasive species can dramatically change urban wildlife dynamics.

The interaction between pigeons and Wells catfish demonstrates a fascinating shift in predator-prey relationships in urban environments.