♫Wild Kratts!♫ CHRIS: We're here in North America.

MARTIN: In the western part of the Great Plains, the land of the shortgrass prairie.

It's us, the Kratt brothers.

Not there, over here!

This way!

I'm Chris.

I'm Martin.

And we're hanging with a herd of bison.

When you're around a herd of bison, you have to make sure you don't startle them or make them nervous because that's when they could stampede.

And you don't want to get trampled by a herd of stampeding bison.

MARTIN: When you check out the bison long enough, you notice that there's one animal who doesn't seem to worry about being close to the bison.

In fact, he wants to get as close to the bison as he possibly can.

I'm talking about the buffalo bird.

CHRIS: Wherever the bison go, the buffalo birds follow.

The bison are roamers.

So, the buffalo birds have to be roamers too.

They hang out right near the bison's mouth and hooves, just waiting for any insect to scurry out from the mouth of the bison that they can then pick off.

They've really got to be on their toes because they could easily get munched by a big bison mouth or stepped on and smushed by their hooves.

MARTIN: Okay, the black ones are the males.

The brown ones are the females.

But they both love the tasty insects that the buffalos are scaring up.

It's a great example of one animal using the help of another animal to get something it needs, in this case: food!

What a cool little creature, with a really strange behavior.

And there are more unexpected creature behaviors out here on the prairie.

Imagine if we could check out some of the strangest-- Most bizarre-- Most mysterious-- Creature powers on the prairie.

What if?What if?

♫On adventure with the coolest creatures♫ ♫From the oceans to the trees♫ ♫The Brothers Kratt are going places you never get to see♫ ♫Hanging with their creature friends♫ ♫Get ready, it's the hour♫ ♫We're gonna save some animals today with♫ ♫Creature Power♫ ♫Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, wild, wild♫ ♫Cheetah speed and lizard glide♫ ♫Falcon flight and lion pride♫ ♫Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts♫ ♫Go wild, wild, Wild Kratts♫ (Beeping) Uh-oh.

We're right in their path.

We're going to have to move again.

How much time do we have till they get here?

About two minutes.

"Two minutes"?

Prepare for liftoff, Jimmy!

My Buzz Bike!

Ah!

Ah!

Huh?

These bison never stop moving.

They're like an army of hairy tanks just rolling across the prairie.

Since I've been tracking them, the herd roams about three miles every day!

And every creature out here knows you got to clear out when bison come through.

You don't want to be caught in the middle of a crowd of bison.

All right, Buzz Bike's safe and in her cradle.

Jimmy, liftoff, pronto!

Jimmy!

He's not here, remember?

He's out collecting buffaloberries for his famous buffaloberry pie.

Uh-oh!

Uh-oh!

Who's going to drive the Tortuga?

(Groaning) Let's get out of here!

Oh!

Jimmy!

Jimmy!

Easy, JZ.

Those bison have you really nervous, huh?

"Bison"?

No, I'm talking about the buffalo bush.

You wouldn't believe what I saw: freaky, like, mystery freaky.

"Freaky"?

"Mystery"?

Oh, this I got to hear!

Was it a creature?

Or what?

KOKI: Sorry to interrupt your little chitchat.

But we got to go now!

Come on, Jimmy, to the cockpit!

We got to see this!

Let's get out there, quick!

KOKI: And, lift-- wait!

We're too late!

JIMMY: Yep, we're surrounded.

AVIVA: Oh, lifting off now would cause a stampede.

And we can't do that.

We're stuck, got to wait till they pass through, guys.

Chris?

Martin?

Hey, where'd they go?

Whoa!

Whoa!

Jimmy was right.

This is weird!

Who did that?

Hung all those insects up like that?

I don't know.

But we've got another creature mystery on our hands, Bro.

A weasel?

Got to be some kind of predator.

Only one way to find out!

A stakeout!

A stakeout!

We'll get mini-sized so whoever it is won't even see us spying on him.

Miniaturize!

Miniaturize!

All right, the Mystery of the Prairie Thorn Bush has begun.

Woo-hoo!

(Grunting) Okay, all is quiet right now.

Hmm.

(Beeping) Just a cute little gray birdie at the top of that bush.

Ooh, and check it out: a prairie king snake basking down below.

Huh?

Huh?

Whoa!

He got the snake.

What?

That little songbird thinks he's an eagle or something!

I know.

He just has little stick legs, not talons!

And he's tiny.

Who is that guy?

Whoa!

Ah!

Oof!

Oh no, it's another one!

Ah!

Ooh!

Hey!

Wait!

Ah!

Whoa!

Oh!

(Groaning) Ah!

That one's taking Martin clear across the prairie.

Help!

What is with these little gray birds?

Oh, you again, with a snake.

I don't believe it!

It's him!

That's the guy who's been thorn-ing things, the little masked gray songbird!

Mystery solved!

Uh-oh.

Martin!

Those gray songbirds, they're the ones doing the thorn-ing!

What?

Uhh, you're not going to... Uhh, Chris, I've been "Thorned"!

Look.

I don't know why they're doing this.

But I've almost got an I.D.

on these birds.

(Beeping) A-ha!

It's a Loggerhead shrike.

Wait a second.

That female shrike is checking out all the things he caught.

He just proved to her that he's good at catching things.

And that means-- Ahem, Chris.

Did you really think we wouldn't find you?

What are you doing at that thorn bush?

Well, we've almost solved Jimmy's mystery and-- Uh-oh.

That's what I was afraid of.

What?

Look!

They're eating!

These little birds are surprisingly tough predators.

But they don't have big strong talon feet like hawks and eagles do.

So, they use thorn bushes!

The thorns hold their prey while they peck at it.

That's why they hang their prey up like that!

So, he's the guy that did that?

Weird.

Yup, and-- Oh no, Martin!

Martin!

What?

What?

Where?

What?

Yo, Chris!

You got to get out of there.

Those shrikes hang up their prey just before they eat it!

What?

(Grunting) Ooh!

Uhh, listen, uhh, Spike.

Uhh, can I call you that?

Spike the Shrike?

Uhh, you might not know this.

But I don't taste very good.

Uh-oh.

Guys, quick, you got to get out here before he comes back and decides to eat me!

Don't worry, Martin.

I've got your coordinates.

We're coming.

Ah!

The bison herd!

We're still stuck!

And Martin's way over there at that tree.

Ugh.

I wish we could just Teleport him back here.

Me too.

But the Teleporter doesn't work on living creatures, never has.

Chris, you go!

Already on my way!

Yikes!

I'm blocked too!

Somebody hurry!

Hmm.

(Gasping) (Grunting) They don't even see me.

Oh yeah, this buffalo bush disguise is really working.

(Grunting) Nothing but a buffalo bush here.

(Whistling) Ow!

My cheek!

Oh.

Ow!

Ooh, a thorn bush, definitely not one of my better disguises.

(Grunting) I'm on my way, Martin!

Ow!

Ooh!

Hang in there!

Oh, hi.

Uhh, have you seen a masked gray bird around here?

You see, I was wondering if you could help me get off this thorn before he gets back.

Whoa!

Yeah!

I'm de-thorned!

Uh-oh!

Ah!

(Grunting) That's what I call a lucky Kratt-fall, right into a bird's nest.

Great, Martin.

Jimmy will teleport you the Butterflier XT.

And you can fly out of there!

No problem.

I'll just chill out with these eggs until it gets here.

Pretty eggs.

I wonder whose nest this is.

Okay, special delivery to Martino.

And za-- MARTIN: Wait!

Look at this!

This egg looks totally different than the others.

This shouldn't happen.

I mean, the eggs in a bird nest should all look pretty much the same.

So, why is this egg different than all the rest?

Chris, we've got a new mystery on our hands.

We do?

(Snorting) (WHISPERING): I mean, we do?

Yeah, the Mystery of the Scrambled Eggs.

There's an egg in this nest that doesn't belong here.

That is weird.

But what a day for creature mysteries!

Sit tight, Bro.

I'm on my way!

Wait a second, guys.

We don't even know whose nest that is.

And this may be our last chance to pull Martin out of there.

Yeah, but we never abandon a creature mystery, no way, no how!

Yeah, and look, a feather.

It's from the bird whose nest this is.

If you can make me a Creature Power Disc from it, I'll fit right in and have the power of flight if I need to get out of here.

Reverse Teleport, and zap it.

Got it!

We'd better hurry.

Who knows what that bird'll do if she comes back and finds a mini Kratt bro in her nest!

(Beeping) It says here that shrikes are the only predatory songbirds.

And they sometimes catch things even bigger than themselves, like mice, lizards, voles, frogs and even other birds.

What?

How?

They're just cute little birdies!

Well, one thing they have is a really tough, strong beak with a notch in it.

While most raptors use strong clawed feet to catch their prey, the shrike's main weapon is that beak.

Other than that, and their thorn-ing behavior, they're just little songbirds through and through.

I should be able to have this suit worked out in a jiff.

Eww!

Jimmy, are these your snacks?

Yep.

If it's enough good for a shrike, it's good enough for me.

Yum, buffalo berry pie.

The only thing I'm worried about is can you remember where you put all your snacks?

A shrike has a great memory, remembering where all her food stashes are for months!

No problem.

I never forget where I put a piece of pepperoni pizza.

AVIVA: Guys, it's done, loggerhead shrike disc complete!

Coming at you, Jimmy.

And zap it!

The disc!

Ah, just in time-- (Grunting) Because here comes Mama Shrike!

Activate Loggerhead Shrike Power!

Uh-oh.

I turned into a shrike egg instead of an adult shrike!

Of course, my other hand was touching the egg.

So, that's what I turned into.

Hey, it's dark inside here, and kind of cramped.

But at least it's warm.

Oh, got to get to that nest.

Oh, I can't believe I'm missing this mystery.

This bison herd never ends.

Buffaloberry bush coming through.

Ooh.

And now a bunch of buffalo birds too?

Hey, excuse me guys.

Wow, the males are much shinier than the females.

Hey, why are you guys always following the bison around anyway?

Aren't you worried about getting trampled or chomped?

Remember the prairie rule: Everybody get out of the way when the bison come through.

The grasshoppers know the rule.

Hey, you caught one.

Amazing!

You do know that rule!

And that's exactly why you hang around them, to catch the insects that clear out of the way when the bison roam through.

Another bird, another clever hunting style.

No wonder they're called buffalo birds-- or sometimes, cowbirds-- because they go everywhere the cow-like bison do!

(Bison snorting) (Gasping) (Grunting) MARTIN: Whew, it's getting pretty toasty in here.

Anybody ready to come out yet?

(Egg cracking) Yes, it's time!

Got to break out of this shell!

Happy birthday!

(Chirping) Woo-hoo!

Everybody made it, except the mystery chick.

Come on, little dude, you can do it!

Come on, you can do it!

Ah.

You did it!

Yes!

Now, who are you?

I'm running a match to our database of prairie birds.

(Beeping) It's a buffalo bird, also known as cowbird!

MARTIN: A cowbird?

Well, then I'll call you Moo.

And you're Thorn.

And how about Spear?

And over there: Spike Jr. Is that okay, Mom?

She must be getting some food.

But Martin, how did a buffalo bird end up in a shrike nest?

Yeah, where are Moo's parents?

MARTIN: Yeah.

We've got to find Moo's mom and dad.

We've got to get him home!

Let's call Chris.

Maybe he can find Moo's mom.

On it, Aviva.

I'll ask around.

(Grunting) Ah!

Hey guys, anybody lose their chick?

No?

Excuse me!

Do you know anyone looking for their chick?

(Chirping) Hmm.

This is going to be tougher than I thought.

Yes!

The herd has passed through.

We're good to go!

All right, so, let's get in there and airlift Martin and the lost chick out of that nest.

And by the time we do that, hopefully Chris'll have found Moo's parents.

(Sighing) Jimmy, is this yours?

Sure is, one of my snack stashes, shrike style!

(Sighing) Good luck!

Thanks!

Thanks!

(Chirping) Whoa!

It's feeding time!

And it's every chick for himself.

It takes two busy parents to feed all these hungry mouths.

Hey, Moo got some too!

Isn't that nice of them, feeding a chick that's not even theirs?

Thanks.

That'll buy us a little more time to find his parents.

(Chirping) (Gulping) (Chirping) (Groaning) Got to keep 'em thinking I'm a chick or they may feed me to the birds.

(Beeping) Martin, we've got a clear shot to the buffalo bush.

So, we can just dart in, drop a rescue line and fly out of there so fast Spike and Mama Shrike won't even notice.

You'll have to be fast, in and out in less than four minutes because that's how often these hardworking parents come back to the nest with more food.

They never stop.

(Groaning) Ooh, that's bad.

Hurry!

(Laughing) Psst, anybody missing a buffalo bird chick?

Anybody?

(Chirping) Hey, a robin!

You built a nest on my branches.

Are you laying eggs right now?

(Chirping) What?

What are you so curious about?

Hmm.

(Chirping) Okay, Martin.

Martin?

We're in position.

Just give the word.

Okay, okay, ready, and, now!

Flying in!

Dispatching rescue line.

Okay, brothers, sisters, it was fun nesting with you.

But I got to get Moo out of here and back to his parents.

Till nest time-- I mean, next time.

Oh!

(Chirping) Got 'em.

Let's go!

Woo!

Woo!

Yay!

We did it!

Great rescue, guys!

Spike and Mama Shrike weren't even disturbed at all!

Wow!

You laid three eggs on my branches!

(Chirping) Hmm, good idea, take a little break.

I'll watch the nest.

After all, like most birds, you'll be sitting on that nest almost non-stop for the next two weeks.

Hey, what are you doing?

That's not your nest.

It's hers.

Wait a second.

Are you-- You are!

You laid an egg in her nest.

And it looks exactly like the one Moo hatched out of!

Ooh, where are you going?

I can't believe it!

She did that on purpose!

Huh?

I get it!

That's the strategy of those sneaky buffalo birds.

They secretly lay their eggs in other birds' nests so the other bird ends up raising their chicks for them.

They're nest parasites.

Uh-oh.

Thorn bush to hover crew, stop the rescue mission!

What?

It's too late!

We left the nest.

See?

Oh boy.

We made a big mistake.

Moo was supposed to be in that nest the whole time-- Well, kind of.

What do you mean?

He's not a shrike!

I know.

But it's natural nature.

Buffalo birds are nest parasites.

They lay their eggs in other birds' nests.

That's just what they do.

Nest parasites, of course!

We should've known.

So, Moo didn't need rescuing at all.

Oops.

Oops.

And now, we've got to fix this mistake.

But how?

What're we going to do with a buffalo bird chick?

We can't put him back now.

Then there's only one thing left to do.

(Gasping) I think we may have just become Moo's new parents.

(Chirping) Well, that's got to be a record for the most creature mysteries solved in one day.

Yeah, we found out that shrikes are the mystery predators that thorn their prey.

And we figured out that buffalo birds, AKA cowbirds, are nest parasites.

And it says here that they'll do it to over 220 different kinds of birds.

Man, those buffalo birds are sneaky.

Uhh, can I get a snack over here?

Coming up!

Fresh buffaloberry pie àà la shrike.

Nice.

I'll leave it here if you want more later.

Everything okay in Bushville?

I guess so.

The robin's nest is looking pretty good.

And Moo is all set up right up there in the new nest we made him.

Coming!

I'll tell you something though.

It's not easy keeping even one chick fed.

Is that why buffalo birds do what they do?

Well, not exactly.

They do it is because buffalo birds are always on the move with the bison herd.

So, they don't stay in one place long enough to build a nest and raise chicks.

(Chirping) Okay, okay, I'm going!

This guy never stops eating.

Ow!

And I'm getting a crick in my neck.

How much longer until these chicks are raised?

Uhh, just a few weeks.

"A few weeks"?

"A few weeks"?

(Groaning) Oh, my aching neck.

So, buffalo birds and loggerhead shrikes are two prairie birds with some pretty strange ways of doing things-- The buffalo bird, with her nest parasite strategy where she lays her eggs secretly in another bird's nest-- And the loggerhead shrike, a songbird with the attitude of a raptor, who uses thorn bushes in a strange way.

Let's look for a loggerhead shrike.

And the best way to do that is to look for their telltale signs.

And that is a small prey animal stuck onto a thorn, a piece of barbed wire or a stick like this.

Ow.

Whoa!

Check it out: down in the ravine, a shrike nest.

MARTIN: The nest of a loggerhead shrike!

Do you see any eggs in this nest?

No, huh?

But they're there.

Hidden under those fluffy feathers could be up to six shrike eggs.

Here she comes!

The mother shrike is back.

It's the mother shrike that sits on the eggs and incubates them while the male comes back and forth, feeding the female.

MARTIN: It's amazing that shrikes can catch prey that's as big as they are: mice, lizards, other birds.

That little bird is a big predator.

She hardly ever leaves her nest, only every now and then to stretch her wings and fly off for a bit.

And it's then when a buffalo bird could strike.

And the reason buffalo birds are nest parasites is simple.

They evolved with the bison.

The bison are roamers.

So, the buffalo birds have to keep up.

They can't stop and have a nest for three weeks and raise their chicks.

They have to keep up with those bison.

So, they evolved a strategy: nest parasitism.

MARTIN: Let's just hope they don't find this nest.

Phew, she's back.

See you later, shrikes.

Keep a look out for those buffalo birds.

Good luck raising those chicks.

And remember, even though they may sometimes look ordinary, there are creatures that do strange and interesting things all around you.

Keep on creature adventuring!

We'll see you on the creature trail!

♫ To find out more about cool animals... And collect your own Wild Kratts creature powers... go to the Wild Kratts website ...at pbskids.org.

BOTH: We'll see you there!