As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday, 22 January 2015

Goshawk with camera helmet reveals how eye contact helps bird home in on its prey

By John von Radowitz

The incredible footage shows that animals caught in its sights can avoid becoming its next meal by breaking off from the deadly gaze with a sharp sideways turn

A camera helmet fitted to a goshawk has revealed how the bird of prey uses eye contact to home in on its kill.

It shows how animals caught in its sights can avoid becoming its next meal by breaking off from the deadly gaze with a sharp sideways turn.

Shinta the goshawk was fitted with a bird's-eye-view camera for the experiment led by Dr Amador Kane, from Haverford College in Pennsylvania, US.

She said: "In our videos you could see that only the sideways motion was effective at breaking the visual fix.

"Maybe what they are trying to do is counter the sensory abilities of the predator.

"They are trying to take advantage of the way the predator does its visual guidance to escape."

No comments:

Post a Comment