The Red-necked Goatfoot, a species of bird that arrived in Spain from Africa, is the bird that arrived with amputations.
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A scientific team led by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) has found out why some migratory birds arrive in Spain with amputated toes: the explanation lies in the African army ant that sticks to the feet of the red-necked goatfoot, a species of bird that arrived in Spain from Africa.
Researchers analyzed forensic evidence to document this “curious interaction” between birds and ants, in which both parties showed “bad behavior,” the Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The study was carried out in the Doñana Natural Zone (Huelva) as part of a long-term monitoring program focused on the nocturnal migratory bird, the red-necked goatherd.
In the study population, every year they found goats that were missing parts of their toes or toes entirely on one or both feet, which also happens with other migratory species, although the cause of the amputations has always been a “mystery”.
The first clues came in 2015 when a goat was caught with severe injuries to one toe. In this case, the amputation was not complete, but the toe was still attached to the rest of the foot by a small strip of skin, and at one end of the toe they found something that looked like a small piece of jaw, apparently from an ant , although the remains found could not be identified due to their poor condition.
“We waited patiently for six long years to find another similar case that would allow us to take identifiable samples from the one that was undoubtedly responsible for the mysterious amputations,” explained Carlos Camacho , first author of the study and researcher Ramón y Cajal of the Doñana Biological Station.
