We are studying pelicans-and cormorants- for decades now but we can’t say much about the mechanisms these birds use are to locate and catch fish in very turbid waters and of course at night. I often ask myself whether they have some piezometric sensors on their beaks or elsewhere on their body so they are using some kind of tactile clues to “feel” the vibrations fish produce while swimming and catch them. Are you aware of any progress on our knowledge on the issue?
These papers may be of interest
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00837.x/full
http://www.int-res.com/articles/ab2012/15/b015p187.pdf
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1392&context=icwdm_usdanwrc
Best regards
Thanks a lot Alfonso,
however the issue per se I described above remains unresolved. I am trying to locate any progress but it seems it remains something we'll have to try much to uncover.
Thanks again
Giorgos
Dear Giorgos,
I don't know research studies regarding this phenomenon, but I know that inner epithelium that cover the gular pouch of pelicans has an extremely high tactile sensitivity. When the fish is inside the gular pouch and it moves activate the tactile sensors and the prey will be swallowed. May be the external side of the gular pouch of pelicans/cormorants is sensitive to vibrations too and is used to detect the presence of prey in turbid water or low light conditions. A cytological/neuronal investigation could solve this mistery.
All the best,
Botond
Dear dr Botond Kiss,
thank you so much about the useful information. It is exactly also my own opinion that it is very probable that there are some yet undiscovered organs that can receive tactile cues. Birkhead in his book "Bird Sense" (2012) writes that unfortunately there is very little published about receptors in birds beaks but that they are numerous touch receptors tucked in small pits across the beak.He also refers to the work of Herman Berkhoudt who has studied this issue and who found several touch receptors including Merkel cell receptors, double-column Merkel cell receptors and many Herbst corpuscles, all those in a zebra finch bill (Birkhead 2012). Other species beaks may contain even more receptors. I also tend to believe that both cormorants and pelicans may well have lots of such yet unstudied receptors in their beaks or pouches or other parts of their front bodies which help them locate prey. Unfortunately, I suppose there is no or very little research done in such anatomical and physiological issues on birds right now, so we may discover them after many years. Once more thanks.
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