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Don't Leave

Biting the wing that feeds you. After a feeding and preening, an adult manu o Kū prepares to depart the nest for another fishing trip, seemingly to the reluctance of the downy chick. I love their oddly bulbous shiny eyes. The manu o Kū, or white tern, is an arboreal nesting seabird that thrives in urban Honolulu. Adults fish up to 120 miles offshore and return with fresh provisions rather than devouring then regurgitating a meal for their chick. This avian behavior was known to Polynesian voyagers and other seafarers. A landmass that may be out of view over the horizon could be located by following these birds conveying their catch back to their nestling.

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Uploaded on August 19, 2023
Taken on April 19, 2023