A SPECIES of owl that nests underground collects animal dung to lure the beetles on which it feeds, scientists have discovered.
The findings confirm that birds are capable of systematically using tools while foraging for food. Although a few examples have been found before, the study is among the first to demonstrate the benefits that such behaviour can bring.
Research in the United States, published today in the journal Nature, reveals that the large piles of faeces that the burrowing owl builds around its nest are there to attract dung beetles. The owls, Athene cunicularia, feast on up to ten