Data from A songbird inhibits blinking behaviour in flight

Visual attention plays a fundamental role in avian flight but attention is likely limited whenever birds blink. Because blinks are necessary to maintaining proper vision, this study tested the hypothesis that birds strategically inhibit their blinks in flight. The blinks of captive great-tailed grackles (<i>Quiscalus mexicanus</i>) were recorded before, during and after they flew a short distance in an open environment. The grackles spent the least amount of time blinking in flight (take-off, during flight and landing) and the most amount of time blinking at impact. Their blinking behaviour was similar before and after flight. These results suggest that grackles strategically inhibit their blinking behaviour in flight, potentially because blinks impose costs to avian flight.

视觉注意力在鸟类飞行中发挥着基础性作用，但鸟类眨眼时其视觉注意力大概率会受到限制。由于眨眼是维持正常视觉功能的必要行为，本研究检验了"鸟类会在飞行中战略性抑制眨眼"这一假说。研究记录了笼养大尾拟八哥（Great-tailed Grackle，*Quiscalus mexicanus*）在开放环境中短途飞行的前、中、后三个阶段的眨眼行为。结果显示，该鸟类在飞行阶段（起飞、飞行过程及着陆阶段）的眨眼总时长最少，而在着陆触地瞬间的眨眼时长最多；飞行前后的眨眼行为并无明显差异。上述结果表明，大尾拟八哥会在飞行过程中战略性地抑制眨眼行为，这或许是因为眨眼会对鸟类飞行造成一定代价。