Understanding Behavioral Predator-Prey Interactions from a Visual Sensory Perspective

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Predation is a powerful factor driving the evolution of prey behavior. One gap in our understanding of predator-prey relationships is how prey detect predators and whether predator detection is enhanced by different sensory adaptations depending on habitat type. Tackling this question is challenging because vertebrate prey usually have sensory systems that differ from that of humans, making it necessary to study the sensory physiology of the study organisms to understand how they perceive their environment. The goal of this project is to establish how the configuration of the visual system shapes anti-predator behavior in bird species living in different habitats. Birds are excellent study species because they have complex visual systems that vary extensively between species and occupy diverse habitats. In open habitats (e.g. grasslands), it is critical for prey to quickly detect predators approaching from afar; hence, prey are expected to have sensory adaptations that enhance visual acuity, which influences the distance at which they can detect approaching predators. In closed habitats (e.g. forests), predators may approach from many directions since the habitat is complex; hence, prey are expected to have sensory adaptations that enhance visual coverage around their heads. This study will address from a visual physiology and behavioral ecology perspectives the question of what makes prey effective at avoiding predation in different environments, and thus will provide a novel framework for understanding the diversity of anti-predator strategies. Novel eye-tracking technology will be developed to record targets of visual attention in small birds, which can be used in the future to study visual attention and lateralization in other vertebrates with laterally placed eyes. Additionally, the PI will disseminate the results of this project to the general public through media publications, seminars, and a public outreach program developed for K-12 schools on how birds see their world.