Treasure to protect
Look in the left-front corner and you will find the explanation. Quite right– the eggs! Was it hard to spot them? They are, after all, camouflaged.
High stakes
The ringed plover plays its high-stakes game in order to appear easily caught, thus luring the mink away from the precious eggs. It keeps a close watch on the predator's movements and maintains a safe distance, ready to fly off quickly.
Cheating death
Playing injured can be an effective method for deceiving predators. To avoid lurking predators is important for all prey animals. Those who fail pay a high price– death!
Adaptations
For that reason, prey animals often develop clever adaptations for avoidance and escape. Playing injured and easily caught or using camouflage (as with the ringed plover's eggs) are just two of the many methods employed.
