A Chicken's Eye View

When we humans look at something, we have one center of vision. Both eyes face forward and focus on the same thing. Sheep, and other ruminants, have eyes located on the sides of their heads and can see almost 360 degrees while grazing. Because their pupils are elongated slits, they can focus on the entire field of view, all at once. They can zero in on several different coyotes coming from different directions, keep track of their flock mates, and search for an escape route all at the same time - without ever moving their heads. That blank stare that humans often mistake for lack of intelligence - is actually a superpower almost beyond our comprehension.

Chickens, like many birds, are even more amazing; they have a center of vision for each eye. The left eye, which is far sighted, connects to the right side of their brain, and is better suited to spot predators. When a hawk flies by, a chicken will tilt its head and focus its left eye skyward, allowing the right side of their brain which is better equipped to deal with the unexpected, to evaluate the danger. Their right eye, which is near sighted, connects to the left side of the brain and is tasked with finding food. When it’s trying to find a bug, or other delicacy hidden in the grass, it will tilt its head so that its right eye is focused on the ground. The most remarkable thing to me is the fact that they can monitor both eyes at once. While walking along looking for food, they are also scanning the horizon for incoming predators. It’s impossible for me to begin to imagine what it would be like to watch two movies at once and be able to process all that information. We have other senses though, that can easily multitask. Humans can listen to music and carry on a conversation. We can identify a sharp object with one hand and something cold with the other. We can easily smell a campfire and a lilac tree and be able to successfully identify the smell and source of each. Our vision, though, can only effectively deal with one thing at a time.

As awesome as I think this added skillset would be, I have a hard enough time trying to make sense of the world as it is - I’d truly make a terrible chicken.