ข้อมูลเชิงลึก - Computational Biology - # Predator-Prey Interactions and Acoustic Camouflage in Barn Owls

Barn Owls Modulate Landing Force to Enhance Hunting Success through Acoustic Camouflage

Q: How might the availability and distribution of different perch types in the landscape influence the overall hunting success of barn owls?

The availability and distribution of different perch types in the landscape can significantly impact the overall hunting success of barn owls. Perch types such as trees, buildings, and poles offer varying advantages and challenges for hunting. Trees provide height and visibility, allowing owls to survey a larger area for potential prey. Buildings offer stable and elevated perches, giving owls a vantage point to spot prey from a distance. On the other hand, poles, typically found in open areas, may provide a closer proximity to the ground and potential prey. The choice of perch type can influence hunting success by affecting the owl's ability to detect prey, approach stealthily, and launch an effective strike. For example, perching on a tree may allow for better visibility but could also make it easier for prey to detect the owl. In contrast, perching on a pole closer to the ground may provide a strategic advantage in surprise attacks but could limit visibility. The variation in landing force observed in different perch types suggests that owls may adjust their approach based on the characteristics of the perch, optimizing their hunting strategy for each situation. Furthermore, the distribution of perch types in the landscape can impact the hunting efficiency of barn owls. Areas with a higher density of suitable perches, such as trees or buildings, may offer more opportunities for owls to rest, survey the surroundings, and launch successful hunting strikes. In contrast, areas with limited perch options may require owls to adapt their hunting behavior, potentially affecting their overall success rate. Therefore, the availability and distribution of perch types play a crucial role in shaping the hunting behavior and success of barn owls in a given habitat.

Q: How do the acoustic cues produced by barn owls during hunting compare to those of other nocturnal predators, and how might this influence their respective hunting strategies and prey selection?

Barn owls are known for their silent flight, a feature that sets them apart from many other nocturnal predators. The comb-like serrations on the leading edge of their wing feathers help minimize sound production during flight, allowing them to approach prey stealthily. In contrast, other nocturnal predators may not have the same level of noise reduction capabilities, leading to potentially louder approaches that could alert prey. The ability of barn owls to minimize motion-induced sound production during hunting, as demonstrated by the modulation of landing force, provides them with a unique advantage in capturing prey. By reducing the noise generated during landings, barn owls can approach prey undetected, increasing their chances of a successful strike. This motion-induced sound camouflage is a critical adaptation that influences their hunting strategy, allowing them to surprise prey and improve their hunting efficiency. In comparison, nocturnal predators that are less adept at reducing noise during hunting may rely on alternative strategies to capture prey. For example, predators with louder approaches may compensate by utilizing other senses, such as vision or smell, to locate and ambush prey. These predators may have to rely on different hunting techniques, such as stalking or chasing, to overcome the disadvantage of being more easily detected by prey. The acoustic cues produced by barn owls during hunting not only influence their hunting strategies but also play a role in prey selection. By minimizing sound production, barn owls can target a wider range of prey species that may be sensitive to noise. This stealthy approach allows them to hunt more effectively in quiet environments where prey rely on acute hearing to detect danger. In contrast, predators with louder approaches may be limited in their prey selection, favoring species that are less sensitive to noise or hunting in environments where sound is less critical for prey detection.

แนวคิดหลัก

Barn owls modulate their landing force as they approach prey, reducing motion-induced sound production to enhance hunting success through acoustic camouflage.

บทคัดย่อ

The study investigates how barn owls (Tyto alba) use a sit-and-wait hunting strategy and modulate their landing force to enhance hunting success through acoustic camouflage. Key insights:

Barn owls reduce their landing force as they approach their prey, with landing force being the lowest on man-made poles in field boundaries. This suggests that owls minimize motion-induced sound production to avoid detection by prey.
Landing force predicts the success of the following hunting attempt, demonstrating the link between predator camouflage and hunting success.
Owls vary their perch use in relation to hunting motivation, with a shift to lower and more open perches (poles) just before a hunting attempt, likely to gather information and refine prey location.
Hunting strikes in barn owls involve the highest recorded forces in any bird relative to body mass, highlighting the range of selective pressures acting on landings and the capacity of these predators to modulate their landing force.
Females generate higher landing forces than males, but males are more successful hunters, potentially due to their lower body mass enabling quieter landings during the sit-and-wait strategy.
The physical environment affects the capacity for sound camouflage, providing an unexpected link between predator-prey interactions and land-use practices.

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biorxiv.org

สถิติ

"Landing forces in hunting strikes were over four times higher than perching events."
"Hunting strikes had peak forces equivalent to approximately 13 times body weight, whereas perching events involved forces roughly three times body weight."
"Females generated landing forces that were 26% higher than males on average during perching events."
"Males flew slightly more slowly than females when searching for prey on the wing, by 0.23 m/s on average."
"When barn owls hunted directly from a perch, the chance of success decreased by 15% for every 1 N increase in pre-hunt perching force."

คำพูด

"Landing force also varied with the substrate, being lowest on man-made poles in field boundaries."
"Overall, our results provide the first measurements of landing force in a wild setting, revealing a new form of motion-induced sound camouflage and its link to hunting success."
"Importantly, within perch types, there was a reduction in landing force with time until the next hunting attempt, with the pattern differing with perch type."

ข้อมูลเชิงลึกที่สำคัญจาก

Landing force reveals new form of motion-induced sound camouflage in a wild predator

by Schalcher,K.... ที่ www.biorxiv.org 03-08-2023

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.07.531523v3

สอบถามเพิ่มเติม

How might the availability and distribution of different perch types in the landscape influence the overall hunting success of barn owls?

The availability and distribution of different perch types in the landscape can significantly impact the overall hunting success of barn owls. Perch types such as trees, buildings, and poles offer varying advantages and challenges for hunting. Trees provide height and visibility, allowing owls to survey a larger area for potential prey. Buildings offer stable and elevated perches, giving owls a vantage point to spot prey from a distance. On the other hand, poles, typically found in open areas, may provide a closer proximity to the ground and potential prey.
The choice of perch type can influence hunting success by affecting the owl's ability to detect prey, approach stealthily, and launch an effective strike. For example, perching on a tree may allow for better visibility but could also make it easier for prey to detect the owl. In contrast, perching on a pole closer to the ground may provide a strategic advantage in surprise attacks but could limit visibility. The variation in landing force observed in different perch types suggests that owls may adjust their approach based on the characteristics of the perch, optimizing their hunting strategy for each situation.
Furthermore, the distribution of perch types in the landscape can impact the hunting efficiency of barn owls. Areas with a higher density of suitable perches, such as trees or buildings, may offer more opportunities for owls to rest, survey the surroundings, and launch successful hunting strikes. In contrast, areas with limited perch options may require owls to adapt their hunting behavior, potentially affecting their overall success rate. Therefore, the availability and distribution of perch types play a crucial role in shaping the hunting behavior and success of barn owls in a given habitat.

How do the acoustic cues produced by barn owls during hunting compare to those of other nocturnal predators, and how might this influence their respective hunting strategies and prey selection?

Barn owls are known for their silent flight, a feature that sets them apart from many other nocturnal predators. The comb-like serrations on the leading edge of their wing feathers help minimize sound production during flight, allowing them to approach prey stealthily. In contrast, other nocturnal predators may not have the same level of noise reduction capabilities, leading to potentially louder approaches that could alert prey.
The ability of barn owls to minimize motion-induced sound production during hunting, as demonstrated by the modulation of landing force, provides them with a unique advantage in capturing prey. By reducing the noise generated during landings, barn owls can approach prey undetected, increasing their chances of a successful strike. This motion-induced sound camouflage is a critical adaptation that influences their hunting strategy, allowing them to surprise prey and improve their hunting efficiency.
In comparison, nocturnal predators that are less adept at reducing noise during hunting may rely on alternative strategies to capture prey. For example, predators with louder approaches may compensate by utilizing other senses, such as vision or smell, to locate and ambush prey. These predators may have to rely on different hunting techniques, such as stalking or chasing, to overcome the disadvantage of being more easily detected by prey.
The acoustic cues produced by barn owls during hunting not only influence their hunting strategies but also play a role in prey selection. By minimizing sound production, barn owls can target a wider range of prey species that may be sensitive to noise. This stealthy approach allows them to hunt more effectively in quiet environments where prey rely on acute hearing to detect danger. In contrast, predators with louder approaches may be limited in their prey selection, favoring species that are less sensitive to noise or hunting in environments where sound is less critical for prey detection.