Raptors lack lower-field myopia

The presence of lower-field myopia (described in chickens, pigeons, quail and amphibians) allows these animals to keep the ground in focus while performing other visual tasks. A relationship has also been reported between the eye height and the degree of myopia observed. All of the animals reported...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vision research (Oxford) 1995-05, Vol.35 (9), p.1153-1155
Main Authors: Murphy, Christopher J., Howland, Monica, Howland, Howard C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Bird
Birds - physiology
Body Height
Eye
Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Male
Myopia
Myopia - physiopathology
Ophthalmoscopy
Optics
Predatory Behavior
Raptor
Refraction, Ocular
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Vision, Ocular - physiology
Visual Fields
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Summary:The presence of lower-field myopia (described in chickens, pigeons, quail and amphibians) allows these animals to keep the ground in focus while performing other visual tasks. A relationship has also been reported between the eye height and the degree of myopia observed. All of the animals reported in the literature to date are ground-foraging species. Using infrared neutralizing video retinoscopy and static photoretinoscopy we found a lower-field myopia to be absent in the barn owl ( Tyco alba), Swainson's hawk ( Buteo swainsonii), Cooper's hawk ( Accipiter cooperi) and American kestrel ( Falco sparverius). These findings suggest that the presence or absence of a lower-field myopia is a function of the visual ecology of the animal.
ISSN:0042-6989
1878-5646
DOI:10.1016/0042-6989(94)00240-M