In humans, the eyes are said to be the 'window to the soul', conveying much about a person's emotions and intentions. New research demonstrates for the first time that birds also respond to a human's gaze.
Predators tend to look at their prey when they attack, so direct eye-gaze can predict imminent danger. Julia Carter, a PhD student at the University of Bristol, and her colleagues, set up experiments that showed starlings will keep away from their food dish if a human is looking at it. However, if the person is just as close, but their eyes are turned away, the birds resumed feeding earlier and consumed more food overall.
Carter said "This is a great example of how animals can pick up on very subtle signals and use them to their own advantage".
Wild starlings are highly social and will quickly join others at a productive foraging patch. This leads to foraging situations that are highly competitive. An individual starling that assesses a relatively low predation risk, and responds by returning more quickly to a foraging patch (as in the study), will gain valuable feeding time before others join the patch.
Responses to obvious indicators of risk -- a predator looming overhead or the fleeing of other animals -- are well documented, but Carter argued that a predator's head orientation and eye-gaze direction are more subtle indicators of risk, and useful since many predators orient their head and eyes towards their prey as they attack.
This research describes the first explicit demonstration of a bird responding to a live predator's eye-gaze direction. Carter added: "By responding to these subtle eye-gaze cues, starlings would gain a competitive advantage over individuals that are not so observant. This work highlights the importance of considering even very subtle signals that might be used in an animal's decision-making process."
Do these birds understand that a human is looking at them, and that they might pose some risk? As yet, this question has not been answered. But whether or not the responses involve some sort of theory of mind, and whether or not they are innate or acquired, the result is that starlings are able to discriminate the very subtle eye-gaze cues of a nearby live predator and adjust their anti-predator responses in a beneficial manner.
These results are published online April 30 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
FAQs
Birds Can Tell If You Are Watching Them -- Because They Are Watching You. Summary: In humans, the eyes are said to be the 'window to the soul,' conveying much about a person's emotions and intentions. New research demonstrates for the first time that birds also respond to a human's gaze.
Can birds tell when you're looking at them? ›
Birds Remember—and Dislike—Eye Contact
That's because it mimics the gaze that a predator has on its prey. So when humans look directly at a bird, or even in their direction, birds take note.
Can birds sense negative energy? ›
Yes! Birds and animals can detect the chemical signals released by the body that tell them about negative energies. Negative energy can be anything from depression, anger, anxiety, sadness, or unhealthiness.
Why do wild birds stare at me? ›
Birds certainly observe people just as they observe everything else around them--in order to be alert for danger, for example, or to keep an eye on when that lady is going to refill the bird feeder.
Can birds sense human energy? ›
This is also the case with pet birds, especially parrots, which respond almost instantly to the mood or energy levels of the human who is handling them. As it turns out, parrots are generally more comfortable with people who feel comfortable around them.
Can birds see things humans can t? ›
For unlike humans, birds can perceive wavelengths in the ultraviolet as well as the visible range of the spectrum. So a bird is able to see ultraviolet “colors” in another bird's plumage that humans cannot.
Can birds sense kindness? ›
With that said, birds remember human kindness and learn to associate you with it, and they don't forget reliable food and water sources. So, if you are regularly filling your feeders and baths, the birds will use them and learn that you are the one providing them with the food when they see you doing so.
What do birds do if they like you? ›
Your bird physically interacts with you. Your bird actively spends time with you. Your bird regurgitates food for you. Your bird exhibits playful behavior.
Do birds care about you? ›
While not all birds will form a close emotional bond with humans, some do, and they can be very loyal and affectionate pets.
Do birds warn you? ›
For example, a seet is the universal danger call made by birds and small mammals. Chickadees, it turns out, chirp about predators a lot. In fact, their name comes from the warning call they make when they see a suspicious character lurking around the neighborhood: Chickadee-dee-dee-dee-dee.
Parrots are very sensitive to our emotions, sometimes better than we are. Our birds are keen observers of our facial expressions, body language, tone and even energy levels and therefore we have to be cognizant of how our emotions can impact our birds.
Can birds sense when you're sad? ›
A bird can sense when you're feeling pity, sadness, or anxiety. If you react with these things, the animal will pick up on it, turning those emotions inward in a vicious cycle.
What does it mean when birds come to you? ›
Bird visits can carry many different spiritual meanings, like “take some time to connect with nature” or “there's a strong spiritual presence in your home.” Specific types of birds are known to carry certain messages, too—for instance, magpies are thought to be a symbol of positivity and good luck.
How do you know if a wild bird trusts you? ›
- 5 Ways to Tell if a Bird Trusts You. #3 They don't fly away. ...
- They sing around you. You ever walk into a room filled with talking people, and the whole room immediately goes silent when they see you. ...
- They try to get your attention. ...
- They don't fly away. ...
- They make a nest near you. ...
- They bring their friends over.
Signs your bird trusts you include:
- Your bird grooms themselves in your presence.
- Your bird vocally communicates with you.
- Your bird physically interacts with you.
- Your bird actively spends time with you.
- Your bird regurgitates food for you.
- Your bird exhibits playful behavior.
- Your bird's body language is positive.
Do birds see straight ahead or to their side? Yes… both. But you must understand that not only are the eyes of most birds constructed a little differently and their visual spectrum (colors) is different, birds are “wired” in their brains a bit differently for vision than you and I.
