In the Amazon, there is a species of a bird whose babies mimic the appearance of a toxic species of caterpillar that resembles Donald Trump’s hair. (Spot the difference above, and after the jump.) Evolution! Ugly as sin, but damn effective.
We have procured images of the baby bird and its doppelgängers. We present them here for your consideration. First, the chick – a baby cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra):
Photo Credit: Santiago David Rivera
Next, the caterpillar:
Photo Credit: Wendy Valencia
And finally, Donald Trump’s hair:
Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Uncanny.
Why, you may be wondering, would a baby bird want to mimic a caterpillar that mimics Donald Trump’s hair? Because this particular variety of caterpillar is toxic; and if you’re a baby bird, looking like a toxic caterpillar could discourage predators from eating you. In a recent issue of American Naturalist, researchers led by Gustavo O. Lodoño have published rare photos of a live L. hypopyrra chick in a nest in Peru. The researchers also note that the chick had a habit of moving its head slowly from side to side when its nest was disturbed – a behavior typical of hairy caterpillars.
