Can Owls See Color?

|

Owls have excellent night vision and are able to see in low light conditions.

Their eyes are adapted to collect and process light efficiently, with a large cornea and pupil that allows more light to pass through the lens and onto the retina

. Owls have an abundance of light-sensitive, rod-shaped cells in their retina, which are very sensitive to light and movement but do not react well to color.

They have few cone cells, which are responsible for color vision, so most owls see in limited color or in monochrome. However, a 2019 study found that owls likely have trichromatic color vision in daylight, meaning they can see some colors. Owls can adjust their pupils to allow less light in during the day and partially close their eyes to block out light. Owls have binocular vision, which means they can see an object with both eyes at the same time in 3 dimensions.

Contents

How Do The Color Vision Capabilities Of Owls Differ From Those Of Humans And Other Animals?

Owls have unique eyes that give them better night vision than any other creature. They have the most forward-facing eyes of any group of birds, which provides them with acute depth perception that allows them to gauge distance to perfectly time their attacks. The color vision capabilities of owls differ from those of humans and other animals in several ways:

  • Achromatic vision: Owls that are strongly nocturnal are believed to have achromatic vision, which means the bird is only able to see black, gray, and white.
  • Rod cells: Owls have an abundance of light-sensitive rod cells in their retinas, almost a million per square millimeter, which is five times greater than humans. Rods interpret light and movement, and the more rods an eye has, the better its ability to see in low light.

    Owls’ eyes are packed with rods, which allows them to see very well in the dark.
  • Fewer cone cells: Owls have very few cone cells, which distinguish color.

    Humans have about 20 rods for every cone, but in owls, that ratio is more like 30 to one, making them exceptionally good at picking up movement even when it’s dark.
  • UV spectrum: Birds see more colors than humans because they perceive parts of the ultraviolet spectrum that are invisible to our eyes.

    However, it is unclear whether owls can see UV light.

What Adaptations Do Owls Have In Their Eyes That Enable Them To See Color, And How Does This Affect Their Hunting And Survival Strategies?

Owls have several adaptations in their eyes that enable them to see color, although their color vision is not as extensive as that of humans.

These adaptations have a significant impact on their hunting and survival strategies.

Here are the key adaptations and their effects:

  1. Rods and Cones: Owls have cells in their eyes called rods and cones.

    Rods help them see in dim light, while cones help them see color. However, owls have a higher density of rods and fewer cones compared to humans, so their color vision is limited and what they see appears mostly black and white.
  2. Large Eyes: Owls have very large eyes relative to the size of their head.

    This allows them to collect more light, enhancing their ability to see in low-light situations. The increased concentration of light-sensitive rod cells in their eyes enables them to excel as nocturnal predators.
  3. Forward-Facing Eyes: Owls have forward-facing eyes, similar to humans.

    This arrangement provides them with binocular vision, allowing them to see objects in three dimensions and judge distances. It helps them accurately locate and track their prey.
  4. Depth Perception: Owls’ eyes are not spherical but tube-shaped, giving them excellent depth perception and the ability to focus on prey. This adaptation is crucial for their hunting strategies, as they need to accurately judge the distance and position of their prey.
  5. Adaptations for Low-Light Conditions: The iris and pupil of owl eyes have adaptations for brightness and contrast, enabling them to see in low-light conditions. Owls also have a large cornea and retina, which efficiently collect and process light. These adaptations allow them to hunt effectively at night when their prey is most active.

Are There Specific Colors Or Color Ranges That Owls Are Particularly Sensitive To, And How Does This Influence Their Behavior And Interactions With Their Environment?

Owls have trichromatic color vision in daylight, but they lack UV-sensitive cone opsin and red oil droplets. 

This means that they are not very sensitive to color, but they can see UV light at night. The ocular media of owls transmit UV light, which makes their rod vision more sensitive.

The degree of melanin-based coloration is associated with the sensitivity to an endocrine response to stressful situations in the barn owl. 

Darker eumelanic individuals are less sensitive to stressful conditions than less eumelanic conspecifics, which may be due to the pleiotropic effects of genes affecting both coloration and physiological traits.

Owls have a wide range of binocular vision, which allows them to see objects in three dimensions and judge distances in a similar way to humans. 

As most owls are active at night, their eyes are very efficient at collecting and processing light. 

They have a large cornea and pupil, and the iris controls the size of the pupil. When the pupil is larger, more light passes through the lens and onto the large retina.

Barn owls are effective nocturnal predators, and they have good visual acuity and contrast sensitivity under dark adaptation. 

They can perceive subjective contours defined by grating gaps and phase-shifted abutting gratings.

Helpful Resources

Read More: