Self-Fumigation Actually Is For The Birds

How can science help save the wild finches Darwin made famous in the Galapagos Islands from invasive species? By leaving cotton balls treated with a mild pesticide laying around. In an experiment, the wild finches used the cotton to help build their nests, which killed parasitic fly maggots and protected baby birds. Self-fumigation works. "We are trying to help birds help themselves," says biology professor Dale Clayton, senior author of a study outlining the new technique in Current Biology. read more

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