What dietary shift occurs during the peak nestling period due to chick digestive needs?
Answer
Strong preference for soft-bodied prey like caterpillars.
During the peak period when parents are provisioning rapidly growing chicks, there is a pronounced parental preference for food items that are soft-bodied and easily broken down by the young birds' developing digestive systems. This requirement prioritizes prey like caterpillars and newly emerged, soft flies. This selective pressure ensures that the chicks receive high levels of easily metabolized protein necessary for fast growth, often leading parents to select these over harder, more challenging prey like mature beetles, even if the latter might be easier for the adult to catch alone.
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