Sense of Hearing for Birds - Page 1

Similar to their acute vision, birds' sense of hearing is also more refined than ours. Barn Owls, for example, can track their prey by sound, without any visual cues. Researchers discovered this by putting an owl and a mouse in a darkened cage. Even without any light, the owl pounced unerringly on its prey.

Almost all birds rely on hearing for communication with mates, rivals, offspring, or flock members, and many use it to locate prey or predators, but two unusual tropical birds take hearing one step farther. Gray Swiftlets of Southeast Asia and oilbirds of South America use their hearing much like bats and porpoises. Emitting sharp, short clicks as they fly about in the dark, they listen for the echoes of their sounds bouncing off cave walls, Using these echoes, the birds avoid crashing into obstacles.