That sounds at once quasi-poetic and somewhat disturbing. But apparently it’s true. There exists a species of moth in Madagascar that sups on the tears of birds:
A species of moth drinks tears from the eyes of
sleeping birds using a fearsome proboscisshaped like a harpoon,
scientists have revealed. The new discovery – spied in Madagascar – is
the first time moths have been seen feeding on the tears of birds.Roland Hilgartner at the German Primate Centre in Göttingen, Germany, and Mamisolo Raoilison Hilgartner
at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, witnessed the
apparently unique sight in the island state’s Kirindy forest.
If this is not weird enough, apparently
Tear-feeding moths and butterflies are known to exist elsewhere in
Africa, Asia and South America, but they mainly feed on large, placid
animals, such as deer, antelope or crocodiles, which cannot readily
brush them away. But there are no such large animals on Madagascar. The
main mammals – lemurs and mongoose – have paws capable of shooing the
moths. Birds can fly away.
You can read more here.
