Animal Behaviour - Part 2

Sudarshan Gurjar
Dear Learners
As you know that from the last two years,

UPSC has got into asking Prelim MCQs about
the habit of the animals such as
1. How does Hedgehog protect itself
2. Why do Bees dance
3. Behaviour of Elephants and Chimpanzees
Hence we have complied this PDF for you.

PYQs on Animal Behaviour
1. Which of the following organisms perform 4. Consider the following : (2014)
waggle dance for others of their kin to 1. Bats
indicate the direction and the distance to a
source of their food?(2023) 2. Bears
(a) Butterflies (b) Dragonflies 3. Rodents
(c) Honey Bees (d) Wasps The phenomenon of hibernation can be

observed in which of the above kinds of
animals?
2. Certain species of which one of the (a) 1 and 2 only
following organisms are well known as
cultivators of Fungi? (2022) (b) 2 only
(a) Ant (b) Cockroach (c) 1, 2 and 3
(c) Crab (d) Spider (d) Hibernation cannot be observed in any

of the above
3. Consider the following animals: (2021)

5. If you walk through the countryside, you are
1. Hedgehog likely to see some birds stalking alongside
2. Marmot the cattle to seize the insects disturbed by
3. Pangolin their movement through grasses. Which of
the following is /are such bird/birds?(2014)
To reduce the chance of being captured by
predators, which of the above organisms 1. Painted Stork
rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/ 2. Common Myna
their vulnerable parts? 3. Black-necked Crane
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only Select the correct answer using the code
(c) 3 only (d) 1 and 3 given below.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 only
2
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Birds
Birds Distinctive Features
y National symbol of the United States since 1782.

y Female bald eagles are a bit bigger than males.
y Bald eagles build their nests at the very top of tall trees so the eggs
will be safe.
y In the wild, they can live to be 35 years old or more.
y Bald eagles can soar over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) high, and their
great eyesight lets them see fish up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) away
Female Bald Eagles
partially migratory, depending on location
y They are flightless, two-foot-tall birds that live in and around

Antarctica and nest in crowded communities called colonies.
y They arrive at their breeding grounds on Antarctica's shores at the
start of summer in Antarctica.
y They make houses out of pebbles.
y Like houses in many human neighborhoods, the nests are arranged
side by side.
Chinstrap
Penguins
y who take more than 10,000 naps a day, with each nap lasting an
average of four seconds.
y "micronaps" lasting 4 seconds.
3
y Flamingos are famous for their bright pink feathers, stilt-like legs,
and S-shaped neck.
y Its food includes shrimp, snails, and plantlike water organisms called
algae
y They are able to "run" on water, thanks to their webbed feet, to gain
speed before lifting up into the sky.
y Flamingo young are born white, with soft, downy feathers and a
straight bill. The bill gradually curves downward as the flamingo
matures.
Flamingo
y The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoids in

their diet of animal and plant plankton.
y Flamingos filter-feed. omnivores. Flamingos are considered very
noisy birds
y It is named for the tufts of feathers

that sit on top of its head, called
plumicorns.
y Theories regarding the presence
of ‘horns’:
○ Help members of their own
species to recognize each other
among the forest around them
○ They may use the tufts to
blend into their surroundings,
Great horned owl making them look more like
broken tree branches than a
tasty meal
y Found in a range of habitats that
includes forests, swamps, deserts,
tundra edges, tropical rain forests,
cities, suburbs, and parks
y The owl uses this hoot to advertise its territory

y They are nocturnal birds with big eyes and wide pupils that allow
them to spot their prey in the night
4
y Indian peafowl are a species in a group of birds called pheasants.
○ The males are called peacocks, while the females are called
peahens.
y Peafowl are among the largest of all birds that fly.
○ Ostriches, emus, and other such birds are bigger, but cannot fly.
y The beautiful feathers that cover the tails of a peacock are 5 feet (1.5
meters) long. These long feathers actually grow from the bird's back
not the tail.
y Peahens are more drab than their male counterparts, with mostly
brown on their back with a white belly. Females don't have long
tail feathers, but they do have a crest on their head and green neck
feathers.
Indian peafowl
y Their Crests Are Actually Important Sensors
y The outer feathers are

waterproof, thanks to oil that’s
secreted from a gland near the
tail.
y Beneath this tightly packed
waterproof layer of feathers
lies a soft, warm layer of
feathers called down.
Mallard duck
y Mallards fly in groups called
flocks. Like most migratory
birds, mallards fly in the
famous V formation
y Outside the nest, the brood (group of ducklings) sticks close by the
mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file
line.
5
y The mockingbird can imitate many sounds, including the chirps of
some 35 different bird species
○ Scientists think they produce these copycat calls to show off for
potential mates
y It lives across the United States and in parts of Canada and Mexico.
y They’re commonly found on tall shrubs or tree branches on the edges
of forests, in backyards, or in parks.
Northern
Mockingbird
y The ostrich is the tallest and

the heaviest of all birds. It
runs, and cannot fly
y The ostrich uses its short wings
for balance, holding them
outstretched when it runs.
y Strong legs can also be used
Ostrich for self-defense. An ostrich
will kick with a force mighty
enough to kill a lion.
y When danger approaches, an ostrich will often lie low to hide,

stretching its neck along the ground. Its feather colors blend with
the sandy soil where it lives.
y Emus and ostriches are both members of a group of flightless birds,
known as ratites. Omnivore
y It is a large black bird with white on each side of its neck and a red
crest on its head. When it flies, white flashes are visible under its
Pileated wings.
Woodpecker
y They drum to attract mates and to establish the boundaries of their
territory—warning other males away.
6
y Bird flaps its wings during the rising phase, then glides as it descends
into the valley of the wave.
y They use their beaks to peck and dig under bark to find carpenter ants,
beetle larvae, and other insects and will often dig large, rectangular
holes in trees to uncover their meals.
y The birds also strip pieces of bark from trees looking for food.
y The red-tailed hawk is a top predator. The hawks use tall perches to
spot their prey in the open spaces next to highways.
y Red-tailed hawks hunt from perches and from the air.
y When a red-tailed hawk spots a rodent, rabbit, lizard, or other prey
scurrying, it swoops down and grabs its meal in its talons—the big
claws on its feet. Once the hawk grabs its prey, it usually flies back
up to its perch to eat it.
Red-tailed hawk
7
y These large owls mainly live in the Arctic in open, treeless areas
called tundra. Snowy owls perch on the ground or on short posts.
y Snowy owls have excellent eyesight and hearing
y In flight, snowy owls generally cruise low to the ground
y Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the snowy owl
is active during the day, especially in the summertime. They tend to
be most active at dawn and dusk.
Snowy Owl
y These noisy birds are often recognizable by their distinctive, loud cry,
called a caw.
y Crows are considered to be very intelligent birds.
Crow
8

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Sudarshan Gurjar

As you know that from the last two years,

Hence we have complied this PDF for you.

(a) Butterflies (b) Dragonflies 3. Rodents

(c) Honey Bees (d) Wasps The phenomenon of hibernation can be

(a) Ant (b) Cockroach (c) 1, 2 and 3

(c) Crab (d) Spider (d) Hibernation cannot be observed in any

3. Consider the following animals: (2021)

y National symbol of the United States since 1782.

Female Bald Eagles

partially migratory, depending on location

y They are flightless, two-foot-tall birds that live in and around

y The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoids in

y It is named for the tufts of feathers

y The owl uses this hoot to advertise its territory

y Their Crests Are Actually Important Sensors

y The outer feathers are

y The ostrich is the tallest and

y When danger approaches, an ostrich will often lie low to hide,

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