Guenin, S., C. J. Pakula, J. Skaggs, E. Fernández-Juricic, and T. L. DeVault. 2024. Inefficacy of mallardflight responses to approaching vehicles. PeerJ 12:e18124 DOI 10.7717/peerj.18124
Abstract
Vehicle collisions with birds are financially costly and dangerous to humans and
animals. To reduce collisions, it is necessary to understand how birds respond to
approaching vehicles. We used simulated (i.e., animals exposed to video playback)
and real vehicle approaches with mallards (Anas platyrynchos) to quantify flight
behavior and probability of collision under different vehicle speeds and times of day
(day vs. night). Birds exposed to simulated nighttime approaches exhibited reduced
probability of attempting escape, but when escape was attempted, fled with more
time before collision compared to birds exposed to simulated daytime approaches.
The lower probability of flight may indicate that the visual stimulus of vehicle
approaches at night (i.e., looming headlights) is perceived as less threatening than
when the full vehicle is more visible during the day; alternatively, the mallard visual
system might be incompatible with vehicle lighting in dark settings. Mallards
approached by a real vehicle exhibited a delayed margin of safety (both flight
initiation distance and time before collision decreased with speed); they are the first
bird species found to exhibit this response to vehicle approach. Our findings suggest
mallards are poorly equipped to adequately respond to fast-moving vehicles and
demonstrate the need for continued research into methods promoting effective avian
avoidance behaviors.
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