![]() One theory suggested that the grit in the clay helped aid digestion, others proposed the clay may contain essential minerals and nutrients, or aid in curing sickness, while another said it may help the parrots deal with hunger pangs. Known as the father of experimental physiology, he noted sick and injured animals would eat clay supposedly to heal themselves.īiologists have debated for years about what it is that drives parrots to take the risk of joining a vast, squawking flock, that is particularly vulnerable to predators, to get their daily clay fix. ![]() It is widespread in the animal kingdom and was first recorded by the Greek surgeon, physician, and philosopher Galen in the second century AD. The practice of eating clay and other earth-like substances is known as geophagia. ![]() It has also attracted scientists, keen to understand why parrots, who in the main, stickly to a mostly vegetarian diet, gorge themselves on the mineral-rich soil. ![]() The spectacular phenomenon draws tourists from around the world who come to observe these beautiful birds in their natural habitat. Some fly from as far as 15 km away to reach the clay lick, before retreating to nearby trees where they slowly chew and ingest it. ![]() Every day, along the river banks of the Amazon basin, hundreds of brightly coloured parrots, parakeets, and macaws gather to collect clay from eroded cliff faces. ![]()
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