Dawn Chorus - windows to the soul

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday June 10, 2018 · 6:00 AM PDT

2018/06/10 · 06:00

red breaayed merganser — Snoozing Red breasted mergansers reveal quiet alertness in their eyes

Recently I came across a flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding in some roadside Soopolalie bushes and stopped to watch. Waxwings are uncommon and unpredictable in my area so it was a treat to see these handsome expressive birds. As I sifted through my photos later, deciding which to delete as no good, it struck me how important it is to see the eyes of a bird. Take a look for yourself.

I like the pose of Waxwing 1 but I perceive much more of a feeling from Waxwing 2. Seeing a bird’s eyes is a window into its soul. We connect, as fellow living creatures.

In this group of Buffleheads, the one in front communicates quiet watchful alertness, while the two behind him could be sleeping for all I know.

What feelings do you get about the birds on the left compared to the same birds on the right?

Perhaps it’s because we rely on our own eyes for so much information about the world that we pay so much attention to the eyes of other creatures. In human psychology there is a wealth of evidence about the importance of eyes in how we relate to others. Even tiny babies show preference for the faces of adults who are looking at them ( www.researchgate.net/… ). Folks with autism have great difficulty with social relationships and communication; and a defining characteristic for them is the inability to make eye contact with others. (www.autismspeaks.org/) Without eye contact they miss social cues, can’t pick up or share emotional states, and their averted gaze conveys disinterest to others. As a social species, making connections is so critical to us it actually diverts brain power from cognitive tasks (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/… ) — and must be worth it even so. Operationally speaking, we remember others more intensely we’ve shared eye contact (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/…. ). Those of us who love nature feel a connection with wildlife, and it’s not unreasonable to feel that seeing their eyes communicates what’s going on in their minds. As much as we can, they being different species.

I have to say though I like it better when birds aren’t looking right at me — I feel like I’m intruding on their space. But it’s sure clear they are perceiving our presence. Dangerous? Weird alien? What are your thoughts about the eye to eye lock?

Sometimes it’s really obvious when a bird is looking at you.

Other times you’re getting a side-eye.

But I have no idea whether this coot sees me or not. I’d like to know.

There’s a lot of variation in the appearance of birds’ eyes. Some have a colored iris that contrasts with its pupil.

…. whereas others are black on black. It’s a lot harder to tell what these birds are looking at. I have to judge that based on the direction of the gaze. I wonder why so many birds have black eyes. Might that make them less visible to predators or competitors? Or could there be a physiological advantage?

Does it feel more difficult to read a bird that has black eyes?

Regardless what color a bird’s eyes are, they fill their eye opening — birds have no “whites of their eyes.” Since most birds can’t move their eyes around in the sockets due to the shape of their eyeballs (en.m.wikipedia.org/...), a surrounding white couldn’t be used to indicate the direction they are looking, the way our eyes do. We can hold our head still and still look left or right, but the location of the white around our irises gives away the direction of our interest.

Here’s an interesting optical feature that plays a role in how we perceive the expression of a black-eyed bird. Have you ever noticed a tiny point of reflected light on a dark eye? It’s called a catchlight (www.slrlounge.com/) … and professional photographers go to great lengths to include them. They make a dark eye come alive. For example, in this capture of feeder birds, the House finch has a catchlight while the Junco does not. To me, the Junco’s eyes look “dead” while the finch is vibrantly alive.

Compare these two views of a Song Sparrow moments apart. Same bird, but the feeling we get is different based on that tiny point of light.

In some species of dimorphic birds there’s a gender difference in eyes. Males not only have showier plumage, but their eyes are more visible too. Females may find a sharp contrast between his eye and body appealing when she’s choosing a mate.

Another way to make eyes stand out is when plumage pattern focuses attention toward the eyes.

Or the eyes can be noticeable just by their shockingly bright color.

15E6D358-E52B-4735-83E8-61E802880C25 — Double crested cormorant

There doesn’t seem to be a consistent eye pattern in related birds. Some owls have yellow eyes, some have black. Some doves have black eyes, some have red.

One eye color pattern that is common among birds is how they change from juvenile to adult. Raptors, woodpeckers, grebes, thrushes, ducks, gulls, cormorants, loons and vireos are able to judge the age of each other this way, maybe to determine the maturity of an individual as a possible mate? Maybe it’s a sign of status?

9E1769E3-4DAA-4340-B9B5-F9BB4A4564DF — Adult Bald eagles have yellow eyes, while juveniles eyes are brown.

oystercatcher — Juvenile Black Oystercatchers lack the yellow eye and orange eye ring of the adult

Regardless of the variation, all these birds express their character through their beautiful eyes, and we humans can perceive it. We cross the species barrier when we gaze into the windows of their souls.