Fast visual adaptation to dim light in a cavity-nesting bird.

ABSTRACT: Many birds move fast into dark nest cavities forcing the visual system to adapt to low light intensities. Their visual system takes between 15 and 60 min for complete dark adaptation, but little is known about the visual performance of birds during the first seconds in low light intensities. In a forced two-choice behavioural experiment we studied how well budgerigars can discriminate stimuli of different luminance directly after entering a darker environment. The birds made their choices within about 1 s and did not wait to adapt their visual system to the low light intensities. When moving from a bright facility into an environment with 0.5 log unit lower illuminance, the budgerigars detected targets with a luminance of 0.825 cd m^-2 on a black background. When moving into an e

SUBMITTER: Chaib S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10170191 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature