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Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:12 PM
A series of images showing a white cheeked barbet thrashing a garden lizard against a tree trunk. This a typical behavior amongst many birds which other than killing the prey eases swallowing / feeding by softening the prey and removing hard and spiny parts like scales , hard exoskeleton, stings and spikes. Note how the tail is removed and the head portion with harder skull and spikes is thrashed repeatedly.


Rgds
Roopak

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:14 PM
The tail is almost cut

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:17 PM
head banging - ozzy style

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:20 PM
checking if the job is well done..

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:22 PM
I wish i had made a video. wud been much better

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:25 PM
rgds
Roopak

Roopak Gangadharan
05-02-2013, 11:27 PM
Rgds
Roopak

Prasad Dingankar
06-02-2013, 11:45 AM
Wonderful series. A sanskrit shloka says, "Jivo Jivasya Jivanam". meaning one living creature is the life for another living creature.the weak are the subsistence of the strong.
Thanks for sharing.

Bibhav Behera
06-02-2013, 05:24 PM
Lovely sequence of events. Had never seen this behaviour in the barbet.
Have seen a similar behaviour commonly in Green Bee Eaters with Dragonflies and bees possibly to stun the prey/get rid of toxic secretions. This here however looks like a way to incapacitate the lizard. Nice documentation. Thanks for sharing.

Abhishek Jamalabad
07-02-2013, 07:35 PM
Brilliant! This behaviour is commonly seen in kingfishers when they catch fish or lizards, never thought that barbets do it too... in fact, i've never seen barbets preying on lizards. A very valuable record.
TFS

Terry Gonsolvis
27-02-2013, 01:08 AM
Thank you for sharing these wonderful pictures . I have never witnessed a Barbet killing a lizard. Keep up the good work.
Terry from the UK.