......The bird was glancing nervously in their direction , freezing still and then hopping , poking and probing in the rocks for food and glancing back intensely ,fearful and yet free. As they moved closer , it hopped out into the flat , hard sand, dragging one of its wings.
It's injured , Meg whispered.
It's an act .They do it to lure predators away from the nest.
He took another step toward the bird and it skittered up the sand ,keening loudly , dragging its wing.
Let me try to explain.Living things , all of them , are tied together. A bird is roped in tension,it's beautiful to watch. It's part of what makes a bird beautiful , he said. She'll fake it until it's a reality if she has to, luring the predator away , at the risk of her own demise.Once it gets near enough she'll keep playing and playing until it's close in and then she'll try and scare it . That's about ninety percent of what you need in the natural world; the one with a bigger bark , a display of power, wins.
DAVID MEANS: HYSTOPIA
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/21/hystopia-david-means-review
