Eyesight of small birds

[Rob_D]

How good is the eyesight of blackbirds, starlings, sparrows etc? I know that of raptors is legendary, but blackbirds have much smaller eyeballs.

Can smaller birds distinguish raptors against the sky from other medium-sized birds (pigeons, gulls etc) as well as humans can at the same sort of distances? I know if I was blackbird or starling I'd be very nervous of Sprawks and other ambush hunters!

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Rob_D

How good is the eyesight of blackbirds, starlings, sparrows etc? I know that of raptors is legendary, but blackbirds have much smaller eyeballs.

Can smaller birds distinguish raptors against the sky from other medium-sized birds (pigeons, gulls etc) as well as humans can at the same sort of distances? I know if I was blackbird or starling I'd be very nervous of Sprawks and other ambush hunters!

I would guess the eyesight of small birds is pretty good Rob although I'm only guessing. I have seen smallish birds, just as an example a Yellowhammer that was perched on the top of a hedgerow jump up and take a passing fly. The fly was pretty small and If I hadn't had the camera focused on the bird as it landed back down in the same spot it took off from I would not have seen the fly with my naked eye.

All birds seem to be able to spot me a mile away when I'm trying to photograph them

Roger

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Ollie

I would guess the eyesight of small birds is pretty good Rob although I'm only guessing. I have seen smallish birds, just as an example a Yellowhammer that was perched on the top of a hedgerow jump up and take a passing fly. The fly was pretty small and If I hadn't had the camera focused on the bird as it landed back down in the same spot it took off from I would not have seen the fly with my naked eye.

All birds seem to be able to spot me a mile away when I'm trying to photograph them

Roger

Yes I would agree with Roger. I should think that their distance eyesight isn't as long-range as a BOP but perfectly adequate for tree to ground vision.

[Rob_D]

Yesterday there was a Sprawk circling low over the estate about 200-300m away, but the blackbirds near were giving alarm calls like crazy (not in response to me - I'd been there for a while with no response). I thought the blackbirds sight must be good to avoid constant false alarms.

[aeshna5]

Yes they have excellent eyesight. Their life is also dependent on them being able to identify a raptor at distance- many of my Sparrowhawk sightings come because I recognise the raptor alarms of various passerines which alert me to the presence of a raptor, which often I would have otherwise have missed!

[witham]

Not seen any flying about wearing glasses unless they're vain and got contacts of course