African Grasslands Provide Food for Millions
In African Grasslands Provide Food for Millions, narrator Sir David Attenborough teaches about how some animals eat grass and grass seeds. The East African savannas supports a population of 1.5 million red-billed quelea, and nearly 2 million wildebeest. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why would it take up to five hours for a flock of red-billed quelea to pass by?
A: The flocks are so vast that it can take that long for the whole flock to pass overhead.
Q: How do the birds and the antelope share a food source?
A: The red-billed quelea eat the seeds of the grass, and the antelope eat the leaves and stems.
Q: If the wildebeest trim the grass down to its roots, why don’t they run out of grass?
A: The grass is able to recover in only a matter of days and keeps growing to sustain the animals.