The Real Bird Eye View
The name “bird’s eye” has been given to many companies and mapping mechanisms. Who could forget Bird’s Eye vegetables? There are many applications that want you to make the connection between the bird eye and high quality products or software that can show map details for miles. The bird’s eye is a remark that is often tossed around when someone is referring to a high vantage spot that allows them to see the lay of the land for several miles. How much do we owe these wild animals?
The bird eye is quite similar to the human eye. It has many of the same working parts. The basic structures of a bird’s eye are: eyelids, cornea, retina, anterior chamber, iris and lens. These are the same structures that a human’s eye has but there are differences in how each works. The most obvious difference is that birds have larger eyes in comparison to the rest of their body. The starling’s eye is 15% of its body. The human eye is 1%. Birds can see a greater area but often cannot move the eye itself.
The size of the eye depends on the bird species. Owls, for example, have huge eyes that allow them to take in more at once. For a wild bird that is important because it means that they can spot enemies and their prey much easier. Owls cannot move their eyes so they rotate their heads. How far do they rotate their heads? They rotate a whopping 200 degrees. Another difference to be found is the number of eyelids a bird has over humans. The human eye only has an upper and lower eyelid.
All species of birds have three eyelids. They have an upper, lower and a nictitating membrane that cleans and protects the eye. Another difference is in the positioning of the eyes. Humans and most wild animals, especially predators, have eyes that are not as centralized as a bird’s eye. A bird’s eye is on the front of the skull and they lack the ability to see very far to the sides. This is why birds turn their heads often.
The bird eye is a complex and fascinating organ. And while it may share many of the same structures and functions as a human eye, it is somewhat superior. Wild birds depend on their eyesight. If something were to happen to its eyes or even just to one of the eyes, it would have drastic and dire consequences, in terms of survival.
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