One of the easiest species to see mid-hunt is the common blackbird. It mostly feeds on bugs living on the ground, especially earthworms. To catch them, it uses several hunting techniques, depending on the prey.
Earthworms
Earthworms are, by far, blackbirds’ main food source, regularly comprising upwards of 50% of their diets. To hunt them, blackbirds typically stay very still, carefully listening for any vibrations coming from the ground and watching for any movement that could alert of a worm’s presence. Then, when they see one, they turn up the soil with their beak until they find it.
However, they may also use a different technique to draw the worms to themselves. They can be commonly seen stomping the ground while looking for food. It’s hypothesized that they do this to lure the worms to the surface (perhaps because the vibrations feel like raindrops).
Other invertebrates
The other main component of a blackbird’s diet are spiders, beetles, and other small invertebrates. To catch these, they agitate the vegetation on the ground to pull them out and then rapidly pluck to catch a lot of prey at once.