Unbelievable Bird Behaviours | BBC Earth

The rainforests of eastern Australia are the stage for perhaps the sneakiest criminals of the lot. This is the satin bowerbird, a creature with a bad case of kleptomania. It doesn't stop at weaving twigs, he likes home decor too. Blue is his favourite colour, bottle tops nicked from a nearby campsite are his proudest possessions. He has an eye for detail too, placing them precisely for maximum visual impact. She makes all the right moves, entering the bower to show she's interested. A ring makes the perfect gift. Not impressed? How about a bouquet of flowers? But something's not quite right. The penny drops, he's been duped. This isn't a female at all, it's a young male in disguise and he's here to steal. He's part of a gang of juvenile delinquents roaming the forest, tricking unwary males. In their hideout they display their ill-gotten gains. It takes up to seven years for a male bowerbird to reach maturity. In the meantime they practice making a bower and dancing for each other. But they can never have too many blue trinkets and bling. Time to go out stealing again. And bowers don't come more decadently inviting than this. But this is no ordinary bower, it's occupied by a male spy bowerbird and adorned with an irresistible array of blue treasure and jewel cameras, all perfectly placed to catch the thieves in the act. Like professionals, they approach with caution. Once again they pretend to be courting females. This time they work together. One distracts as the other steals the jewels. Spy bowerbird can only observe as they clean out the bower, gem by precious gem. Back home with their stolen goods they continue to practice their courtship techniques. But spy bowerbird isn't off the hook. The male bowerbird who was their first victim needs to replenish his bower. Well if you can't beat them you may as well join them. Sand martins fly from South Africa just to nest in the banks of this river in Hungary. They are here for the abundant insect life but as their chicks grow demand outstripped supply. But in their time of need the river provides a perfect banquet. One by one they emerge. They are mayflies. Moment of glory lasts just three hours, just time enough to mate and lay eggs. They are a superfood for the hungry chicks. As the day ends the mayflies perform their swan song. The sand martins are so full they lose their edge and appetite. But their loss is another's gain. Living in the grounds of a Hawaiian hotel is a night heron. The staff call him Hank. His home is an all-inclusive resort where food is literally thrown at you. Hank always has trouble going up against the larger swans. When he finally does get his beak on some food he does something completely unexpected. He doesn't eat it but instead appears to have a plan. Hank takes the bread. He places it in the water and he waits. He could eat it at any time but he doesn't. That wasn't part of the plan. Two fish in a single mouthful. Hank is catching fish by using the bread as a tool and he clearly knows how valuable it is. He doesn't waste it on fish too big for him to eat but instead takes it out of harm's way. Food is so scarce that more than two adults are needed to search for it if a nest full of chicks is to be kept supplied. This bird is not the parent of these nestlings. It's one of last year's chicks who has stayed on to help raise this year's brood. Young female helpers after a year or two usually leave to look for territories of their own but young males may stay on for as long as seven years. One of them may eventually inherit the family estate and nesting site when the old breeding male dies but most will never father a brood. Instead of producing their own young they find their reproductive reward in helping to raise their younger brothers and sisters. Guarding the food supply is just as important as collecting it and some of the young helpers act as sentinels keeping an eye out for thieves. This is a trespasser from a neighbouring territory sneaking in to try and steal food. That can't be allowed. Back to normal duties. Another intruder, an indigo snake. It too is hungry and the meal it is searching for could well be a jay chick. So teamwork saves the nest. Indeed as a result of studies here we now know for certain that pairs with teams to help them are very much more successful in rearing their young. Recently though it's been discovered that this form of cooperation is quite widespread among birds. Some species of wrens and woodpeckers and moorhens all use this form of cooperation under some circumstances as indeed do some mammals. One that involves a very talented pod of dolphins. They are closely watched by a flock of great egrets who have become experts on the dolphin's behaviour. Their queue is the moment a dolphin pops to the surface checking the position of the nearest mud bank. The egrets are poised and ready for action. Then it happens. The dolphins drive the fish shoal ashore. As the fish flounder the dolphins scoop him up but the egrets also pile in. This is the only place in the world where dolphins strand feed like this and the local birds have learned to make the most of it. Strangely the dolphins always use their right sides to push ashore. The young dolphins pick up this technique from their parents as do the egrets that follow them. Many no longer fish for themselves and totally rely upon the dolphins cast offs. The egrets are living proof of birds extraordinary ability to adapt to the opportunities on offer.