Hoopoe Birds Use Filth as a Defense

A good number of birds have a variety of protective abilities, the most important of which is the capacity to simply fly away. Additionally, some birds have dangerously strong beaks and talons. But what about the more sensitive, smaller ones? What transpires if they are in danger?

The Eurasian Hoopoe weighs about as much as a deck of cards and can grow to be about a foot long. These are not dreadful monsters. Therefore, in order to avoid being eaten, they will poop all over their own nests and cover their own eggs with secretions that smell foul.

The substance, which comes from a gland below the tail, is used by females to cover themselves. Despite the fragrance, it is antibacterial and increases the flexibility and waterproofness of her feathers. Within six days of hatching, young animals can defend themselves by launching projectile feces at predators.