Spatial contrast sensitivity of birds

Contrast sensitivity (CS) is the ability of the observer to discriminate between adjacent stimuli on the basis of their differences in relative luminosity (contrast) rather than their absolute luminances. In previous studies, using a narrow range of species, birds have been reported to have low cont...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Comparative Physiology 2006-05, Vol.192 (5), p.523-534
Main Authors: Ghim, Mimi M, Hodos, William
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological - physiology
Animals
Aves
Birds
Birds - physiology
Color Perception - physiology
color vision
Columba livia
Columbidae
Contrast Sensitivity - physiology
Coturnix
Coturnix coturnix japonica
Coturnix japonica
Electroretinography
Eyes & eyesight
Falco sparverius
fish
humans
Melanerpes
Melanerpes carolinus
Photic Stimulation
pigeons
Sensory Thresholds - physiology
Space Perception - physiology
Species Specificity
Starlings
Strigiformes
Sturnus vulgaris
Tyto alba
Ultraviolet Rays
woodpeckers
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Summary:Contrast sensitivity (CS) is the ability of the observer to discriminate between adjacent stimuli on the basis of their differences in relative luminosity (contrast) rather than their absolute luminances. In previous studies, using a narrow range of species, birds have been reported to have low contrast detection thresholds relative to mammals and fishes. This was an unexpected finding because birds had been traditionally reported to have excellent visual acuity and color vision. This study reports CS in six species of birds that represent a range of visual adaptations to varying environments. The species studied were American kestrels (Falco sparverius), barn owls (Tyto alba), Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), white Carneaux pigeons (Columba livia), starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus). Contrast sensitivity functions (CSFs) were obtained from these birds using the pattern electroretinogram and compared with CSFs from the literature when possible. All of these species exhibited low CS relative to humans and most mammals, which suggests that low CS is a general characteristic of birds. Their low maximum CS may represent a trade-off of contrast detection for some other ecologically vital capacity such as UV detection or other aspects of their unique color vision.
ISSN:0340-7594
1432-1351
DOI:10.1007/s00359-005-0090-5