Ornithomimus/Segments

## OrnithomimusBird Mimic

* Ice Worlds II
* North America V

## Presence

* Ice Worlds (Segment 2)
	+ Several adult males
* North America (Segment 5)
	+ 9+ adults

 Main **Segments** Gallery

MainSegmentsGallery

These are Prehistoric Planet segments which feature ***Ornithomimus***.

## Ice Worlds

**Ice Worlds**, Segment II
**Setting**
Prince Creek Formation, Alaska, USA
### Plot

In the second segment of Ice Worlds, as spring begins, several male *Ornithomimuses* gather on an island formed by sediments deposited by a river. The theropods set up nests with twigs and rocks built around shallow holes they dug in the ground in a bid to attract females and convince them which one of them is the best male to mate with. Unfortunately for the latecomers, this leaves them with almost no room to form their nest. One male, a twig in his mouth, is driven off by others who already set up their nests (for they do not want their nests to be touched by others), forcing him to resort to settling by edge of the island.

***“ Late arrivals find that space is already in short supply. The only space left is on the island's margin. And finding a place to nest is only just the start. When eggs are eventually laid, they would need to be kept warm in a bed of vegetation. Finding enough nesting material is not easy... which is why some Ornithomimus resort to thievery. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Ice Worlds*
Even so, establishing a nesting spot is just the first step. The late arrival, pondering on how he is to build his nest and make it inviting and warm enough to entice females, realizes that he can simply steal nesting materials that the other males have already worked hard on setting up. When one male just a short distance away temporarily leaves his nest, the late arrival sneaks up to the nest and steals off a branch, placing it in his own nest. The other male returns and places a new twig, but he appears to realize that his nest has been pillaged for materials. When he turns his back, the late arrival tries to sneak in once more, but he turns around, already suspicious of nearby nest thieves. The late arrival stops in his tracks and looks around, pretending to be interested in something else. When the other male finally turns his back again, the thief steals yet another twig from his nest.

***“ In colonies like this, thievery can be so common, that some nesting material, at one time or another, will have been part of almost every nest on the island. But robbery is risky. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Ice Worlds*
However, when the thief tries to sneak in for a third time, the other male finally catches him in the act, driving him off by raising his arms and hissing at him, causing the thief to stumble back and run off. However, yet another problem arrives as a pair of *Edmontosaurus* cross the river, potentially interested in eating the leafy branches that make up the nests of some. Though the thief does not have much on his nest yet, given how his nest is by the island's edge, the one most likely to be trampled, he waves his feathered arms and hisses at the hadrosaurs to dissuade them from approaching his nest, just in case. With that hadrosaurs seemingly uninterested, he turns around and is greeted by the sight of the neighbor he tried stealing from continuing to build his nest, which is now far more well-made and covered in more vegetation.

***“ It can take several years to perfect nest-building skills. But success doesn't only rely on experience. In a crowded colony, there's always another potential victim. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *Ice Worlds*
As he tries to sneak in and steal some materials, his neighbor, now fully aware of his thievery, momentarily pauses his work to get up, stomping the ground as he hisses and looks down on the thief. Even so, the thief finds yet another opportunity as another male to his left leaves his nest, and runs towards it to steal some parts from it. He looks at the direction his neighbor has gone in twice, making sure he isn't looking before taking a twig from his nest. The segment ends with a zoomed-out shot of the river islands from high up, a great sanctuary for both the eggs and the future young of *Ornithomimus*.

### Trivia

Had it actually featured the males showing off their nests to the females (which did not appear in the segment), this would have been the sixth segment to feature a courtship ritual.

## North America

**North America**, Segment V
**Setting**
Prince Creek Formation, Alaska, USA

**Filming Location**
Meagher County, Montana, USA

In the fifth and final segment of North America, following three months of cold winter darkness, the sun finally rises and warms up the Arctic Circle. A flock of nine *Ornithomimus* rush out, using their great speed to cover vast distances and find fresh vegetation, eventually finding what they sought for in a thawing field of snow. A short distance behind them, a female *Nanuqsaurus* eyes them hungrily. With nowhere to hide and therefore no opportunity to ambush, the *Nanuqsaurus* decides to just outright rush at the flock and hope one blunders due to panic. The flock splits into two, four moving to the right as the other five rush left, the *Nanuqsaurus* choosing to continue chasing the latter group. Eventually, the *Nanuqsaurus*, out of energy, halts its pursuit, growling in frustration as the *Ornithomimus* dash further away.

***“ Each failed hunt uses up more precious energy, bringing her ever closer to starvation. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *North America*
Although it was spring, the Arctic Circle was still subject to freezing winds and fluctuating temperatures. A flock of seven *Ornithomimus* are out grazing on a rocky slope full of vegetation, and this time, the *Nanuqsaurus* takes advantage of the flurries of snow and the rocks around her to close the distance between her and the flock without being seen. Slowly, she inches forward, and charges at the flock once she was close enough.

Screeching, the seven *Ornithomimus* rush down the slope, the tyrannosaur just a few feet behind them. Two *Ornithomimus* split off to the right, and the *Nanuqsaurus* goes after the larger group of five which ran left. One *Ornithomimus* in the back slightly stumbles on the ground, getting left behind by the others, and, realizing that it is now the main target of the predator, circles back and runs left, back up the slope, almost getting caught by the *Nanuqsaurus* in the process. The pursuit continues up the mountain until eventually, the *Ornithomimus* makes a critical error and slips on the snowy terrain. Just before it could fully get back up, the *Nanuqsaurus* finally grabs it by the throat, dragging it around before crushing its neck with her jaws. Checking to see if her prey is really dead, the *Nanuqsaurus* picks up the freshly-slain *Ornithomimus* by the neck and makes a slow trip back up the mountain, where her seven hatchlings are waiting.

***“ If her babies are to thrive, she will have to repeat today's success over and over again, until her young are old enough to join her in the hunt, and, eventually fend for themselves, here in this remote - and perhaps the most challenging - frontier of the North American continent, 66 million years ago. ”***

― **David Attenborough**, *North America*
As the family feeds on what may be their first meal in many weeks, three *Ornithomimus* feeding on vegetation watch the scene from a distance, likely fearful that they may be next. Noticing them, the *Nanuqsaurus* gets up and turns to face the *Ornithomimuses* with a huff, causing them to scamper back down the slope. Turning back to her family, she regards her babies as they chirp up at her before continuing to eat the meal with her hatchlings.

## Gallery

Join us for a story you never heard, on a scale you've never witnessed

**Prehistoric Planet has a gallery for
*Ornithomimus***

*Click here to visit it!*

The thief is scared off by the individual he's stealing nesting materials from
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast, Episode 447: Dinosaurs in North America: Featuring Prehistoric Planet 2