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How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

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Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#61

Post by hatthew »

plank wrote: post #56

The point the story tries to make is that the Hawk learned traffic signals. That is not necessarily the case. It could be that the hawk just sees that the cars are blocking the sight of the prey. Still an intelligent action, only does not mean the hawk understands the signal itself.

The suggestion is that the hawk hears the signal and knows that the line of cars is about to be unusually long in a minute, so it prepares by flying into position.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#64

Post by sethhochberg »

happyopossum wrote: post #59
eorthling wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obligatory note that if you're from the US you are probably picturing a different bird than parent saw.

would you care to expound on that?

In the US, buzzard is pretty much always slang for a turkey vulture. The common buzzard in Europe/Asia is a different bird entirely.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#65

Post by throwanem »

dmd wrote: post #52
throwanem wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really know what it's like to be a bird, of course, but I have to imagine their subjective experience of duration differs greatly from ours.

Search for "flicker fusion rate" to learn a lot more about this.

That talks about the mechanics of visual perception. I'm discussing qualia, which I am far more confident crows share with me than does the particular subtype of Hacker News commenter who will with tiresome predictability and total lack of novelty turn up to press the footless insistence that crows could never.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#67

Post by jfk13 »

morkalork wrote: post #45
Etheryte wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plus pigeons are not exactly known for being incredibly smart or agile, so if you're big enough to take one down, you probably won't struggle too much for food.

Except for the part where pigeon racing is an entire sport that relies on both their speed and intelligence

Except that it's not clear whether the intelligence† that underlies their homing ability is equally effective in helping them evade predators.

†Is "intelligence" even the right word here? I don't know. Much depends on how you define it, I guess, combined with the unknowability of the pigeon's own mental processes.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#68

Post by qingcharles »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #50

I once wrote a personal’s ad in SQL on Craigslist, back when they had that section. A DBA replied and asked if I wanted hawking. She had a Cooper’s hawk. I met her at a commercial park in a Saturday morning. She was driving a Honda CRV, the hawk was in the front passenger seat, and I hopped into the back seat. She started driving and spotted some crows. The hawk saw them as well. Wearing a “don’t kill me either your…

This is peak HN.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#69

Post by senkora »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #50

I once wrote a personal’s ad in SQL on Craigslist, back when they had that section. A DBA replied and asked if I wanted hawking. She had a Cooper’s hawk. I met her at a commercial park in a Saturday morning. She was driving a Honda CRV, the hawk was in the front passenger seat, and I hopped into the back seat. She started driving and spotted some crows. The hawk saw them as well. Wearing a “don’t kill me either your…

I bet she was a very good database administrator.

Re: How a hawk learned to use traffic signals to hunt more successfully

#70

Post by IAmBroom »

throwanem wrote: post #54
dmd wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you didn't get married!?

Not OP, but I'm friends with crows. Imagine having to try to explain that ...

"Baby, those body parts mean nothing to me! I love crows!"

Don't hate the player, baby.

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