What Can a Bird See?

[BillyBones]

If anyone has been to the Budgie board, you might have seen my thread there about my Budgie cam. I have a question I can't seem to find an answer to.

I have a webcam broadcasting my English Budgies in their nest box. Of course it's dark inside so in order to see anything I have to have lights on inside. I used infrared LEDs like you would find on your TV remote. I'm sure you noticed the LED at the front of the remote does not seem to light up. It does, just we can't see IR light. Most CMOS cameras however can including the webcam I have. Try taking about any digital camera or cellphone cam and watch what happens when you point a remote into it and hit a button.

Now with that all said, I watched a program about wild Budgies on PBS some time ago. They mentioned that the little freakles on a Budgie's cheek were used to help them indentify one another and this was done using infrared light. This to me would mean Budgies have vision that is infrared sensitive similar to a digital camera.

My nest box is lit up with 4 IR LEDs. I did try to test out whether the Buds would react to the light. Before the eggs were even laid, I took a visible LED and an IR LED and shined the lights into the nest box. Keep in mind that LEDs have a narrow beam like you would find in a flashlight. When I moved the light around the box, the female only seemed to take notice to the visible light LED. When I moved the beam around from the IR LED she didn't react the same way, she didn't follow the light.

I've have the IR lights running in the box for several days now and everything is fine. I'm just wondering if the Buds really can see the light and if they can, are there any adverse affects that you all can think of from lighting up the box day after day (assuming that they can see the IR light at all).

There isn't any issues with heat or harmful rays from these type of lights. They are very low power (1.2 volts) and should not be confused with UV light which is completely different.

So what do you think?

[mwagpetal]

I don't know anything about the LED lights but I wanted to say i think your cam setup is really cool! Thanks for sharing with us.

[LouieBird]

Parrots have a greater range of vision in the UV but lack the vision in IR as compared to human eyesight. They'll be OK.

See the graph in post #8 are budgies colour blind?

Cool set-up. I researched and wanted to do that a few years ago but never got around to it.

[BillyBones]

Originally Posted by LouieBird

Parrots have a greater range of vision in the UV but lack the vision in IR as compared to human eyesight. They'll be OK.

See the graph in post #8 are budgies colour blind?

Cool set-up. I researched and wanted to do that a few years ago but never got around to it.

LouieBird, Thank you so much for the reply. I had searched all over the forum and the web and couldn't find anything about what spectrum of light birds could see.

Based on that chart, the program I saw must have said the Buds use UV light to see those little freckles (do they have a proper name?). Well I'm relieved to see the fids probably don't even have a clue the lights are on.

My wife also made a good point, how many tropical birds you see flying at night? If they have IR sensitive vision, night flight would be no problem.

Thanks again, Bones

[LouieBird]

If you ever get a chance to see the Budgies under a black light (UV) it is really something. The necklaces (the dots or freckles) glow. Some stronger on some than on others. I've read somewhere that some females sometimes choose their mates by the way they glow.

[Monica]

Human eyes have 3 cones, where-as birds have 4 cones. It is believed they can see in UV light... which I suppose is why some species of parrots have yellow heads!

Evolution of Retinal Structures
http://www.csulb.edu/labs/bcl/elab/a...sion_intro.pdf
The Bird Eye and Bird Vision
Ultraviolet Vision [SoBS - UoB]
What do birds see? (speculation)
Tetrachromacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To make a point, I took a black light and shone it on 4 budgies and 1 cockatiel (okay, I shone it on bourkes and a conure, too, but they didn't show up!) You can see the results below!

P1010040.JPG
P1010038.JPG - P1010018.JPG

[Buteo]

Great responses to this one!
Yep, Birds have a greater visual range than humans due to the 4th cone,
but it's up in the Ultra-Violet, not Infa Red, so don't worry, they can't see your IR lights.

[BillyBones]

Originally Posted by LouieBird

I've read somewhere that some females sometimes choose their mates by the way they glow.

That is true....that is exactly why my wife picked me.

Again, thanks to everyone for the great info. Excellent members and board.

[BillyBones]

I came across the exact clip of the show I first heard about this glowing Budgie deal. I'm sure many of seen the program but if not, be sure to take this one down.

YouTube - NATURE | Parrots in the Land of Oz | Budgie Mating | PBS