MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 11, 2024
In some ways, birds perceive their environment in ways we cannot sense or comprehend. Many birds sing, so it is no surprise that the sense of hearing in birds is pretty good. Our hearing acuity is similar. Our ears can hear some low frequencies birds can’t hear, and birds can hear some frequencies that are higher than we can detect. However, birds are better at us in hearing the detail in a sound. Among mammals, our vision is well developed. Birds outdo us. In general, birds have a more poorly developed sense of smell than us. Touch acuity is similar in birds and humans. Birds have one sense we lack. Birds can detect the earth’s magnetic field. This sense is particularly important in orientation and navigation for migrating birds. ~ Herb Wilson