Spectral sensitivity of the accessory optic system of the pigeon

Campenhausen, M von; Kirschfeld, K

doi:10.1007/s003590050229

Cited by 108 publications

(69 citation statements)

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“…However, the risk of detection on the ground is probably not primarily influenced by color contrast but by motion against the more homogeneous background, involving signals from the double cones (24,37). Therefore, if so, the main risk for detection caused by the conspicuous coloration of males during breeding season would be in the variable color environment of the trees.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in color vision make passerines less conspicuous in the eyes of their predators

Håstad

Victorsson

Ödeen

2005

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

168

155

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Sexual selection often favors brighter and exaggerated traits, which also increase the risk of detection by predators. Signals that are preferentially conspicuous to conspecifics would reduce the predation cost of signaling and, therefore, might facilitate the evolution of stronger sexual and social signals. This selective signaling is possible if predators and prey have differently tuned sensory systems. By using a retinal model to compare reflectance from the plumages of Swedish songbirds to the reflectance of their natural backgrounds, we found their color badges to be significantly more conspicuous to other songbirds (which have a UVtuned visual system) than to raptors and corvids (which have a violet-tuned system) in both coniferous and deciduous forests, consistent with an adaptive private communication system. plumage reflectance ͉ predation ͉ sexual selection ͉ UV vision

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in color vision make passerines less conspicuous in the eyes of their predators

Håstad

Victorsson

Ödeen

2005

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

168

155

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“…In birds, it is assumed that the double cone class (which contains LWS pigment; Fig.·3D) is responsible for achromatic tasks (Maier and Bowmaker, 1993;Campenhausen and Kirschfeld, 1998;Hart et al, 1998;Osorio et al, 1999b). The double cone's principal member contains an oil droplet that absorbs at short wavelengths, but does not displace the λmax of the visual pigment (Hart, 2001).…”

Section: Quantitative Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interspecific and intraspecific views of color signals in the strawberry poison frogDendrobates pumilio

Siddiqi

Cronin

Loew

et al. 2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

495

579

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Poison frogs in the anuran family Dendrobatidae use bright colors on their bodies to advertise toxicity. The species Dendrobates pumilio Schmidt 1858, the strawberry poison frog, shows extreme polymorphism in color and pattern in Panama. It is known that females of D. pumilio preferentially choose mates of their own color morph. Nevertheless, potential predators must clearly see and recognize all color morphs if the aposematic signaling system is to function effectively. We examined the ability of conspecifics and a model predator to discriminate a diverse selection of D. pumilio colors from each other and from background colors. Microspectrophotometry of isolated rod and cone photoreceptors of D. pumilio revealed the presence of a trichromatic photopic visual system. A typical tetrachromatic bird system was used for the model predator. Reflectance spectra of frog and background colors were obtained, and discrimination among spectra in natural illuminants was mathematically modeled. The results revealed that both D. pumilio and the model predator discriminate most colors quite well, both from each other and from typical backgrounds, with the predator generally performing somewhat better than the conspecifics. Each color morph displayed at least one color signal that is highly visible against backgrounds to both visual systems. Our results indicate that the colors displayed by the various color morphs of D. pumilio are effective signals both to conspecifics and to a model predator.

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“…For raptors hunting on the wing, motion signals are very important for detection, and these are probably mediated by achromatic rather than chromatic mechanisms [see Campenhausen and Kirschfeld (Campenhausen and Kirschfeld, 1998) and references therein].…”

Section: Does the Plumage Coloration Of Blue Tits Represent A Hidden mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Birds also have double cones and rod photoreceptors, which are believed to mediate achromatic information in bright and dim light, respectively (Campenhausen and Kirschfeld, 1998;Goldsmith and Butler, 2003;Goldsmith and Butler, 2005;Osorio et al, 1999;Lind and Kelber, 2011) (reviewed in Martin and Osorio, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultraviolet sensitivity and colour vision in raptor foraging

Lind

Mitkus

Olsson

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Raptors have excellent vision, yet it is unclear how they use colour information. It has been suggested that raptors use ultraviolet (UV) reflections from vole urine to find good hunting grounds. In contrast, UV plumage colours in songbirds such as blue tits are assumed to be ‘hidden’ communication signals, inconspicuous to raptors. This ambiguity results from a lack of knowledge about raptor ocular media transmittance, which sets the limit for UV sensitivity. We measured ocular media transmittance in common buzzards (Buteo buteo), sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), red kites (Milvus milvus) and kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) so that, for the first time, raptor UV sensitivity can be fully described. With this information, and new measurements of vole urine reflectance, we show that (i) vole urine is unlikely to provide a reliable visual signal to hunting raptors and (ii) blue tit plumage colours are more contrasting to blue tits than to sparrowhawks because of UV reflectance. However, as the difference between blue tit and sparrowhawk vision is subtle, we suggest that behavioural data are needed to fully resolve this issue. UV cues are of little or no importance to raptors in both vole and songbird interactions and the role of colour vision in raptor foraging remains unclear.

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Spectral sensitivity of the accessory optic system of the pigeon

Cited by 108 publications

References 0 publications

Differences in color vision make passerines less conspicuous in the eyes of their predators

Differences in color vision make passerines less conspicuous in the eyes of their predators

Interspecific and intraspecific views of color signals in the strawberry poison frogDendrobates pumilio

Ultraviolet sensitivity and colour vision in raptor foraging

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