In my last post I mentioned the risks cicadas faced during their metamorphosis from subterranean nymph to flying adult and illustrated a couple of examples. I mentioned the subsequent risk to the adults from avian predation.

The adult cicadas priority is reproduction so they focus on their singing to attract a mate. This noise exposes them to being located despite being well camouflaged by colour. The cicada in this next image flew and landed on a vine near me and immediately moved down and hid behind a leaf to minimise it’s visibility.

When in flight they attract attention from flying predators, often triggering aerial dogfights with sparrows and starlings.

Sparrows are very efficient predators targeting cicadas. They seem to favour the forest margin locating insects by sound and flight. They grab one and head down onto a hard path to beat the insect into submission and separate the nutritious abdomen.

Favoured areas of path are littered with cicada wings. Photographing this cicada predation isn’t as easy as some sparrow images as the birds become quite wary as they are subject to kleptoparasitism by starlings and mynahs. Keeping still and low near the forest margin gave me a couple of opportunities for images. Quite a contrast from the sparrows that will land on your cafe table for scone crumbs.

This bountiful food source is a boon for recently fledged young birds. I saw a starling feeding a fledgling and a young sparrow who had already mastered hunting for itself.

The summer cicada hatch is a feast time for birds and highlights the adaptability of sparrows which has made them such successful immigrants.

Photos with Nikon Z8 and Nikkor Z 400mm f4.5 VR S