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Visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species: American crow and Western scrub jay

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Abstract

Inter-specific differences in the configuration of avian visual fields and degree of eye/head movements have been associated with foraging and anti-predator behaviors. Our goal was to study visual fields, eye movements, and head movements in two species of corvids: American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and Western scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica). American crows had wider binocular overlap, longer vertical binocular fields, narrower blind areas, and higher amplitude of eye movement than Western scrub jays. American crows can converge their eyes and see their own bill tip, which may facilitate using different foraging techniques (e.g., pecking, probing) and manufacturing and handing rudimentary tools. Western scrub jays had a higher head movement rate than American crows while on the ground, and the opposite between-species difference was found when individuals were perching. Faster head movements may enhance the ability to scan the environment, which may be related to a higher perceived risk of predation of Western scrub jays when on the ground, and American crows when perching. The visual field configuration of these species appears influenced mostly by foraging techniques while their scaning behavior, by predation risk.

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Acknowledgments

We deeply thank Andrew Hubble (USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services) who helped capture some of the specimens used in this study. We thank John Aganon, Abel Hernandez, Gina Isitt, and Jennifer Scala for their efforts in gathering the behavioral data. Santos Bermejo, Tim Morgan, and Orange County Vector Control District provided essential assistance for the completion of the project. Jeff Lucas, Megan Gall, Ken Henry, Mark Nolen, Lauren Brierley, Patrice Baumhardt, and Jacquelyn Randolet provided useful comments on an earlier version of the draft. This study was funded by the National Science Foundation (DBI-0641550). The animal handling techniques used in this study were performed under approved protocols from Purdue University and California State University Long Beach Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Esteban Fernández-Juricic

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA

    Colleen O’Rourke

  3. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 7333 World Way West, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA

    Todd Pitlik

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  1. Esteban Fernández-Juricic
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Correspondence to Esteban Fernández-Juricic.

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Fernández-Juricic, E., O’Rourke, C. & Pitlik, T. Visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species: American crow and Western scrub jay. J Comp Physiol A 196, 879–888 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0570-0

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