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clock-iconPUBLISHEDDecember 13, 2014

Baby Chick Mimics Toxic Caterpillar

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Lisa Winter

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Anagoria/Wikimedia

Though it will grow up to be a fairly unassuming-looking bird, for the first 18 days of its life a cinerous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) is clad in bright orange feathers. These feathers allow the chick to look like a toxic caterpillar, protecting it from predators. In addition to the coloring, the bird actually looks long and slender like a caterpillar as well!

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Check out this video from New Scientist:

 


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