Bird and small mammal alike often choose eminence over shelter, or (when available) both:
Relaxing on a warmish afternoon,
keeping curious eye on photographers
or conducting a visible-but-private conversation,
up may provide more and safer options than down. But food often obeys the law of universal gravitation, and concentrates at the thin boundary between earth and sky. Here gleaners may congregate by necessity, preference, or the relative safety of the herd:
In general, however, adults take their meals in solitary fashion. So where a Cyanocitta cristata prefers picking the bones of its cousin Gallus gallus domesticus
to a sweeter but less calorie- and protein-rich vegetarian alternative,
Sciurus carolinensis is quick to snag the treasure and steal up and away to enjoy it all alone:
Sabbe sattā sukhi hontu ~ may all beings be happy!
