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Raptors avoid the confusion effect by targeting fixed points in dense aerial prey aggregations

Author

Listed:
  • Caroline H. Brighton

    (University of Oxford)

  • Laura N. Kloepper

    (University of New Hampshire
    Saint Mary’s College)

  • Christian D. Harding

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Lucy Larkman

    (University of Oxford)

  • Kathryn McGowan

    (University of New Hampshire)

  • Lillias Zusi

    (University of New Hampshire)

  • Graham K. Taylor

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Collective behaviours are widely assumed to confuse predators, but empirical support for a confusion effect is often lacking, and its importance must depend on the predator’s targeting mechanism. Here we show that Swainson’s Hawks Buteo swainsoni and other raptors attacking swarming Mexican Free-tailed Bats Tadarida brasiliensis steer by turning towards a fixed point in space within the swarm, rather than by using closed-loop pursuit of any one individual. Any prey with which the predator is on a collision course will appear to remain on a constant bearing, so target selection emerges naturally from the geometry of a collision. Our results show how predators can simplify the demands on their sensory system by decoupling steering from target acquisition when capturing prey from a dense swarm. We anticipate that the same tactic will be used against flocks and schools across a wide range of taxa, in which case a confusion effect is paradoxically more likely to occur in attacks on sparse groups, for which steering and target acquisition cannot be decoupled.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline H. Brighton & Laura N. Kloepper & Christian D. Harding & Lucy Larkman & Kathryn McGowan & Lillias Zusi & Graham K. Taylor, 2022. "Raptors avoid the confusion effect by targeting fixed points in dense aerial prey aggregations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32354-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32354-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katherine A. Jones & Andrew L. Jackson & Graeme D. Ruxton, 2011. "Prey jitters; protean behaviour in grouped prey," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(4), pages 831-836.
    2. C.C. Ioannou & C.R. Tosh & L. Neville & J. Krause, 2008. "The confusion effect--from neural networks to reduced predation risk," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 19(1), pages 126-130.
    3. Caroline H. Brighton & Graham K. Taylor, 2019. "Hawks steer attacks using a guidance system tuned for close pursuit of erratically manoeuvring targets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Callum Duffield & Christos C Ioannou, 2017. "Marginal predation: do encounter or confusion effects explain the targeting of prey group edges?," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 28(5), pages 1283-1292.
    5. Caroline H Brighton & Lillias Zusi & Kathryn A McGowan & Morgan Kinniry & Laura N Kloepper & Graham K Taylor & John Quinn, 2021. "Aerial attack strategies of hawks hunting bats, and the adaptive benefits of swarming," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 32(3), pages 464-476.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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