Goshawks attack 'odd-coloured' pigeons

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17689297


Goshawks selectively target pigeons that stand out from the crowd

Goshawks single out "odd-coloured" pigeons as prey in large flocks to enhance their chances of a successful hunt, a study has found.

Research by a University of Oxford team examined the so-called "oddity effect" that the birds of prey use to target feral pigeons in Hamburg, Germany.

Most feral pigeons are grey-blue but many flocks have a few white birds.

Hawks that master the selective attack strategy are the best breeders, the study found.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Not mentioned in the article

but I wonder if the hawks target the 'odd-colored' birds as easier prey due to what they perceive as genetic deficiencies in strength, speed, etc. I know that borders on anthropomorphisization of the hawks, but they may be hard-wired to select 'different' because it represents 'weak.'

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. I would guess the white bird is easier to pick out and follow

out of a flock of grey birds

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Yes, that was mentioned in the article

and it makes sense, I wondered whether another underlying factor was also at work.

[Posteritatis]

4. "Different", on its own, *is* "weak" in herd or flock animals

It's basically wearing crosshairs; if a given animal's easier to make out in a group, it's much easier to single out when hunting and a lot more likely to get caught as a result.

[Nihil]

6. "Bummer of a Birthmark, Hal ..."

That was the first thing that occurred to me when I read this thread
but you summarised it seriously - well done!

[sakabatou]

5. This was like the peppered moths of England