Mistletoebird (9/17)

PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae

Dicaeum hirundinaceum  

Bushpoo 2 (continued from Bushpoo 1)

Toilet trained, our young Mistletoebird takes two bobbing steps to the right wiping the sticky seed from its bottom onto the branch...

...and presents its bottom to us for inspection.

The sticky parasitic seed is now glued to the branch, which is how parasitic mistletoe gets spread from one tree to another.

Observing this incident raised more questions in my mind:-

This bird has wiped the seed off on a mistletoe branch so can mistletoe parasitize mistletoe?

Do Mistletoe birds always dance the Bushpoo Side-step towards the right hand-side, or can they also wipe to the left?

Can one get treatment for this disturbing interest in bird bathroom habits?