Birds' vision

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alan refail
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It has always puzzled me how hens and ducks are so aware of what is directly in front of them, not just feed but the tiniest tasty insects, even thought their eyes are on each side of the head. After a little research I came across this very informative article, which goes some way to enlightening me.

https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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alan refail
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This diagram explains a lot.

Image
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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oldherbaceous
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Now that's interesting, Alan.....nature is an interesting thing and has many surprises.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

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Geoff
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Why do birds differ in how they can see through glass? Twitch an eyebrow and a member of the crow family will fly away but you can move about and point at most of the small birds like tits, robins and sparrows. We had a goldcrest last Winter that spent ages pecking round our front door that you could watch from two feet away.
Westi
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Birds came from raptors so I expect this is one of the adaptions that made the dinosaurs so successful in their time!
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Diane
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Chickens also have the ability to sleep with one eye open and the other closed. During this form of sleep, unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (‘USWS’), half of the brain gets a rest whilst the other remains awake and alert for predators.

A chicken’s brain is divided into two hemispheres. Each eye is attached to the opposite hemisphere, i.e. the left eye is attached to the right hemisphere and the right eye is attached to the left hemisphere. Chickens can be asleep and awake at the same time!
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tigerburnie
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There's a few birds that do the chicken thing, Swifts being one of them
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Monika
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Geoff, I think the goldcrest you were watching was so intent on getting rid of a rival which it saw in your window reflection that nothing else mattered. We have had a goldcrest doing that on the wing mirror of the car and stood next to it, in touching distance, and it has continued pecking at this supposed rival.
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oldherbaceous
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Well this has turned up things that I never knew, very interesting indeed.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

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Westi
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You guys are all so knowledgeable - might not be many on here but what there are can generally answer any question asked - shame so few are brave enough to ask though! But I for one am getting an education that is so diverse! Cheers with the duck & chicken vision - amazing!
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robo
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My wife spotted a squirrel in our garden this morning ,we have had them before it's nothing to write home about apart from this was a red one
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Primrose
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Oh that is definitely one to write home about if its a red one. If there one, it suggests there might be a small colony breeding which would indeed be good news given that the greys are outbreeding them and generally forcing them off territory. It might be, of course that in recent years the environment may have changed in subtle ways and there is more food for them. I believe the reds thrive in an environment where pine trees are more prevalent.
Monika
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Robo, are you sure it was a red squirrel? Some greys have a reddish tinge ...... There is a colony of red squirrels at Formby on the coast, not too far from you, but they tend to stay put unless you have a lot of conifers near you.
robo
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It was my wife who spotted it I was down the plot ,I have questioned her about it as her short term memory is lacking she is adamant that it was red even matching the colour to some shrubs we have been to formby quite a few times and she douse now the difference between red and tree rats ,there is not a lot of conifers near us but a lot of leylandi and loads of bushes and trees ,the reds at formby are in decline
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alan refail
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Do I detect a hint of thread drift here? Birds' vision to red squirrels!
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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