During this time of year birds are busy making nests, laying eggs, and raising young. Removing or destroying bird nests is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and disturbing nests threatens the lives of young birds. Luckily, birds will let you know if you are getting too close.
We covered honey bee swarms in the last episode, this time around Casey describes in disturbing detail the nuptial flight of a queen honey bee. Spoiler alert: things don’t end well for the male bees.
FYI:
For some reason Radio Boise chose to edit out the following two parts of Casey’s description of the nuptial flight:
- After the bees do it in the air, the male’s penis breaks off inside the female, and he falls to his death trailing his entrails.
- After the female mates with a dozen or so males, she returns to the hive heavy with sperm. So heavy, in fact, that she will never be able to fly again.
Resources:
- USFWS: Bird Nests – What You Need to Know
- Birdist Rule #28: Know When Birds Think You’re Too Close to Their Nests
- NestWatch: Code of Conduct
———————
This episode aired on Radio Boise in May 2018 and featured music by Toy Zoo.
Boise Biophilia 