Birds hunting cooperatively (was Killer whales and theropods)

["Ralph Miller III" <gbabcock@best.com>]

Berislav Krzic <veselinka.stanisavac@siol.net> writes:
> It is interesting though, but I can't recall even the bird species that
uses
> cooperative ways of hunting. A pair of eagles maybe? The inteligence of
> birds (the closest relatives to dinosaurs), however, shouldn't be
> underestimated (the capabilities of parrots and crows are quite
impressive).

I recall a post some time back reporting a group of captive vultures
surrounding a rabbit and killing it.  Each time the rabbit sprang out to
escape the circle of birds, one of the vultures would force the mammal back
to the center until it tired and was killed by the group.  The confines and
artificial situation of captivity probably influenced this behavior, but
the incident does demonstrate that even vultures have the capability to
cooperate in catching live prey.

More to the point, I understand that roadrunners hunt cooperatively in the
wild.  Breeding pairs have been observed to circle around a reptile and
attack from opposite sides, until the prey is killed and eaten.  Being poor
fliers, but excellent runners and hunters, roadrunners have been proposed
as analogs for predatory dinosaurs.

Perhaps Ron Orenstein or another bird expert will provide further examples
of avian cooperative hunting behavior...

-- Ralph Miller III     gbabcock@best.com