Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 09:18:15 -0500 Reply-To: wlsngang@intercom.net Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kathleen Wilson Subject: Re: Raptor Visual Capability MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I have the Life of Birds companion guide, by David Attenborough. It is a great book with a lot of intereesting things on birds. On page 102 in the Meat-Eater section is the article. It says, while talking about birds eyes and vision: " The kestrel is one (that can percieve ultra-violet light) and it has recently been discovered how this might have value for the bird. Voles are one of its main prey. The little animals run along regular tracks, collecting their vegetarian meals, and marks these paths with little squirts of urine. This helps them find their way and conveys messages of ownership and sexual availbility. But it also reveals their paths to a kestrel, for urine reflects ultra-violet light. So the bird, hovering abovce, knows just where it should look to spot a give-aeay movement." I found this was very interesting. Jim Wilson Queen Annes County Rob Gibbs wrote: > > I'm not sure if the information is accurate but I think I remember hearing > the story about the ultraviolet glowing urine on the David Attenboro PBS > series on birds, you may be able to find a companion guide or the videos in > the library and check up on it. Good luck. > > -- > Rob Gibbs > Damascus, MD > robgibbs@starpower.net > > "Daniel F. McDonald" wrote: > > > Hi All-------- > > > > Seems to me, I have heard stories from a couple different sources that > > some raptors can perceive light in the ultraviolet range and, thereby, > > are able to locate rodent prey by watching for activity along > > urine-marked rodent trails (which were said to be visible under > > ultraviolet). > > > > Does anyone know: are these true stories? or are they nice > > birdie-fairy tales? > > > > If so: does anyone know of the literature references to substantiate > > these stories? > > > > Thanks for any information supporting or negating these stories. > > > > Georgia McDonald > > Towson, Balt Co, MD > > dangeo@erols.com > > > > ======================================================================= > > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > > ======================================================================= > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================