Landing force reveals new form of motion-induced sound camouflage in a wild predator.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_C08FEEBA0AC2
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Landing force reveals new form of motion-induced sound camouflage in a wild predator.
Journal
eLife
Author(s)
Schalcher K., Milliet E., Séchaud R., Bühler R., Almasi B., Potier S., Becciu P., Roulin A., Shepard ELC
ISSN
2050-084X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
2050-084X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
24/07/2024
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
12
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
Predator-prey arms races have led to the evolution of finely tuned disguise strategies. While the theoretical benefits of predator camouflage are well established, no study has yet been able to quantify its consequences for hunting success in natural conditions. We used high-resolution movement data to quantify how barn owls (Tyto alba) conceal their approach when using a sit-and-wait strategy. We hypothesized that hunting barn owls would modulate their landing force, potentially reducing noise levels in the vicinity of prey. Analysing 87,957 landings by 163 individuals equipped with GPS tags and accelerometers, we show that barn owls reduce their landing force as they approach their prey, and that landing force predicts the success of the following hunting attempt. Landing force also varied with the substrate, being lowest on man-made poles in field boundaries. The physical environment, therefore, affects the capacity for sound camouflage, providing an unexpected link between predator-prey interactions and land use. Finally, hunting strike forces in barn owls were the highest recorded in any bird, relative to body mass, highlighting the range of selective pressures that act on landings and the capacity of these predators to modulate their landing force. Overall, our results provide the first measurements of landing force in a wild setting, revealing a new form of motion-induced sound camouflage and its link to hunting success.
Keywords
Animals, Strigiformes/physiology, Predatory Behavior/physiology, Sound, Motion, acoustic camouflage, animal movement, barn owl, bio-logging, ecology, hunting success, prey-predator relationship
Pubmed
Open Access
Yes
Create date
26/07/2024 13:10
Last modification date
27/07/2024 6:01
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