When a robin is searching for worms in the ground, it turns its head and leans downward. Because of this position, most people believe that the bird is straining to “hear” the worm.
But birds have their eyes on the sides of their head, and therefore must turn their head to the side to see what’s in front of them. So when a robin turns its head while searching for a worm, the question arises, is it trying to see the worm or hear it?
Scientists conducting experiments with birds have found that blind birds still turn their head toward the ground when they’re hunting for worms and that blindfolded owls can still catch mice.
So it’s probably true that a bird’s sense of hearing is sharp enough to pick up the faint sound of a worm moving through its burrow.
Related Posts
-
How Do Birds Detect Worms In the Ground and Do Robins Search For Worms By Smell or By Hearing?
Recent studies show that birds like Robins find worms in the ground visually, not by hearing or smell. When robins run along the lawn, cocking their heads, it looks like listening, but actually…
-
Can Worms Be Educated?
What? The lowly earthworm, educated? Well, the answer is yes! This amazing feat was accomplished at the University of Michigan, where scientists used the common flatworm that you are likely to see in…
-
How Do Worms Get Into Apples?
Worms can infest apples through a variety of means, but the most common way is by eating the moths that feed on young fruit. Although worms can be difficult to eradicate, the following…
-
How Are Wasps Useful and Why Are Wasps Bred To Control Pests Like Worms and Weevils?
Usefulness is a subjective term, but wasps, which with bees and ants make up the order Hymenoptera, are extraordinarily well adapted to certain human ends. Almost all are predators or parasites of injurious…
-
Why Do Some Birds Steal Food From Other Birds?
Nobody likes to think that something as beautiful as a bird can also be a thief, but it is true. Many birds steal food from other birds. Quite a few different kinds of…
-
How Do Birds Sleep Without Falling Out of Trees and Do Birds Sleep Laying Down or Standing Up On Perches?
Birds have a nifty tendon arrangement in their legs which help them sleep when they are perched. The flexor tendon from the muscle in the thigh reaches down over the knee, continues down…
