Handedness is a preference for using one hand (or limb) as opposed to the other. It’s a phenomenon many of us associate strictly with humans but other vertebrates can also show handedness, including birds. For example, many parrot species have a strong and consistent preference for using their left foot when bringing food to the beak.
Based on my own observations in the field I believe that Short-eared Owls may also display handedness.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this male Short-eared Owl delivering voles to the nest many times. In 13 of those cases I could clearly see in my images which foot it was using to grasp the prey and each time (13 out of 13) he used his left foot (though one time it may have switched the prey from right to left in flight). I was able to photograph the female in flight with prey only once but she was also carrying the vole in her left foot.
A sample size of only 14 may not be large enough to draw any hard conclusions about potential handedness in Short-eared Owls but I certainly was intrigued by what I observed and photographed.
I reported this observation in a previous post with more details and photos but that was early in my blogging history so not many folks ever saw it. When I came across this previously unpublished image I thought it was worth another mention. If you’re interested, here’s a link to that earlier post.
Handedness is a complex phenomenon and it’s a matter of degree rather than an absolute but many other vertebrate species (or individuals) can also show some degree of handedness.
I find that fascinating.
Ron
Well, shoot. Now you’ve given me one MORE thing I’m gonna have to look for!
Very interesting to consider behavior in nature. Thank you for the ongoing motivation, Ron!
I had forgotten about owls’ asymmetric ears…one higher than the other…is the higher one always on the same side in all owls? Ex. always on the right…or always on the left? Is this true of any other birds?
Hi Ron, might not be related at all, but owls have asymmetric hearing. One ear is placed higher on their head than the other. I wonder if the preference is to favor the side with the higher or lower ear?
Yes, Ron…your surgeon definitely counts…the real question though,…was he left handed,right, ambidextrous…or all thumbs? (I’ve always thought that was one of the most attractive views of a horse, so I guess you’re trying to tell me that surgeon was pretty good looking…right?…no pun intended)
LOVE IT!!!
As a side note: I find it interesting that there’s a very high proportion of ambidextrous architects and neurosurgeons, the ones who do the super delicate stuff…don’t know of any birds, fish, dogs, horses or cats in either of these professions, though…
I knew a surgeon once who was a horses patoot – no question. Maybe that doesn’t count…
“Handedness” in birds, fish, horses dogs would be VERY interesting! Those of us who are Special Ed teachers refer to it as “laterality”…”established laterality” means there’s no confusion as to whether the individual is clearly left or right handed…Unestablished laterality can lead to promlems in reading and math. I had a horse best buddy who was 15 hands 3″, but never heard of a bird or fish with hands! And now a cat! One of the reasons I love your blog so much is that I learn so many new things! You’re the best, Ron!
Thanks, Patty but no one learns more than I do around here…
I am not surprised. Cats too seem to have a tendency to use a particular paw. And one of our cats was ambi-footed, and was so much more dextrous than most.
I will watch birds at our feeder and see whether I can detect a pattern. Thank you.
My experience with these owls has made me more observant of these patterns too, Elephant’s Child. You never know what we’ll notice…
That’s an interesting point. Sakura uses right foot for the perch and the left to grab whatever it is she wants from me. I always felt is was because she had learned I produce food from the my right side (im righted handed). The glove is on my left hand, but as im pulling the food from my right side she sees it and will “foot” at me with the left foot before I load the glove and present it to her. She holds down everything with her left foot to eat. Its still the molt, when I feed her inside. When we go back to hunting, I will have to pay better attention to her actions.
Tim
That is so interesting, Tim. Your comments made me go back in my memory to the pair of American Kestrels that nested in our neighbors’ palm tree, and I was realizing that whenever I watched the female eat, as well as the female baby, they would always hold the food down with their left foot. Not sure I ever saw either the adult male or the two male babies eat. I’ve seen them flying with prey, but don’t remember which foot they used to carry it.
Susan, I don’t have many images of kestrels carrying prey in flight but here’ one of my photos of a male carrying a snake in its left foot. But of course one example isn’t a tendency. https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2013/06/08/american-kestrel-with-snake-prey/
Beautiful! Thank you, Ron.
Fascinating bits of info about Sakura’s tendencies, Tim. It would be interesting to know what you discover when you start hunting her again.
Maybe I could get you to swing out to the valley sometime Ron and take a few pictures of Sakura…I think she’d like that, lol.
Not to mention me!
Tim
Wonderful shot and information! I had no idea.
Charlotte
Glad you enjoyed both, Charlotte. Thank you.
On a different tack…lobsters have two big claws, one bigger than the other. The smaller one is used for cutting and the bigger one is used for crushing. I’ve been wondering if the side these specific claws are on is the same in all lobsters, or if the bigger one is on the right in some, on the left in others. I’m pretty sure I have a right pawed dog, a lefty and an ambidextrous one. I base this on which paw they automatically offer, which paw they use to pat or swat at things with, and which paw they used to retrieve things like balls and chew toys from under things. My horse always “shook hands” and “counted” with her right foot.
Patty, It’s my understanding that the larger claw of a lobster (those species that have this difference in claw size) can be either the left or the right.
Laterality mystery in lobsters solved!!! Thanks, Ron! Now I can cross that one off…on to the next…..
Hey, I never really thought of it in birds, but I know horses have a real preference for traveling one direction. A lot of times you have to do many exercises with them to build or stretch the muscles on the opposing side so they will travel correctly going that way. Thanks, I will keep my eye out for this from now on.
Interesting stuff about horses, Deb. It’s amazing how many vertebrates show some form of handedness. Some fish even have a preference for which direction they turn when swimming – left or right.
Thank you for your always informative observations Ron and of course, your incredible photography !
Thanks very much, John.