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| True love! (Photo by Michael Haferkamp) |
Nigel was lured to an island named Mana off the
coast of New Zealand by a bevy of
female-looking decoys. After
choosing one, he spent the rest of his life grooming
her “chilly, concrete
feathers.”
Scientists had
originally hoped to lure a
colony of gannets over to the island. Instead, Nigel spent years alone with
the virtual love of his life.
Perhaps
other birds sensed the futility of
such idolatry. Perhaps they feared
it was contagious (as idolatry
often is). In any event, live gannets
pretty much avoided the island until
shortly before Nigel’s
death.
Resources
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/nigel-the-worlds-loneliest-bird-dies-next-to-the-concrete-decoy-he-loved-20180203-h0t72l.html
Copyright February 4, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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