Hawk eyes II: diurnal raptors differ in head movement strategies when scanning from perches.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Relatively little is known about the degree of inter-specific variability in visual scanning strategies in species with laterally placed eyes (e.g., birds). This is relevant because many species detect prey while perching; therefore, head movement behavior may be an indicator of prey detection rate, a central parameter in foraging models. We studied head movement strategies in three diurnal raptors belonging to the Accipitridae and Falconidae families.

Methodology/principal findings

We used behavioral recording of individuals under field and captive conditions to calculate the rate of two types of head movements and the interval between consecutive head movements. Cooper's Hawks had the highest rate of regular head movements, which can facilitate tracking prey ite

SUBMITTER: O'Rourke CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2943910 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature