>After all, I could jump up and down for a quite awhile for a Dove
>Bar before expending the calories contained in one. And I'm not
>particularly skinny!
>
>- Don Baccus

I think Don has the answer, although I think there's also a question;
someone should ask him just how long he would jump up and down for a Dove
Bar.

I'd say, from watching gulls and quite a variety of other birds (including
just about any passerine present when this is happening) catching flying
termites from swarms near the coast every summer, that the energy expended
isn't all that great compared with the return. California, Ring-billed,
and Bonaparte's gulls are confirmed termite-feeders, only rarely joined by
the larger species, so maybe in fact it isn't energetically worthwhile for
big gulls to do this, only the more agile, smaller species, in which
capture is easier and energy gained relatively greater per gulp per gull.

I doubt if it's any special chemical in the ants, because this phenomenon
happens with just about any insect that swarms in large and easily
accessible numbers. Descriptions of raptors and other birds of all kinds
(i.e., those with any agility in flight) following termite swarms in East
Africa has made me long long to see such a phenomenon.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416