There will be times I’m on normal roads or even driving fast on a highway and have had very close encounters with birds flying aross the front of my car.
I never see dead birds on the road so I just assume they have some kind of special airflow mechanism that allowed them to avoid accidents.
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I don’t think they’re very good at avoiding being hit. I’ve hit a total of four animals in 30+ years of driving. One was a deer, and the other three were birds.
I mean, the ones that weren’t good at it aren’t around anymore, so….
I have definitely hit a bird with my car. Got lodged in the front grill and I basically had to pull it apart to get it out.
I’ve seen too many roadkill crows to think that birds are that good at avoiding cars. And they’re supposed to be the *smart* ones.
Some years ago my wife and I rented a car and drove from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back… a route that included some miles on an unpaved desert road.
When we finished the trip and returned the car at the airport I found a dead bird stuck in the grill.
So… I guess this is my way of telling you not all birds are good at it.
I’ve seen too many roadkill crows to think that birds are that good at avoiding cars. And they’re supposed to be the *smart* ones.
A bird of prey focuses in on its target and dives. Hawks, for example. They sit on a streetlight, see their meal across the freeway in the median, and dive for it. Unfortunately they don’t see the 70mph semi because they are so focused on their prey.
Smaller birds are more nimble, but do get hit. I’ve seen mocking birds swoop in front of speeding cars get taken out. I’ve also had small birds hit the side of my car. What I don’t know is if they are playing their own version of chicken with other birds to see how close they can cut it without splattering.
Some years ago my wife and I rented a car and drove from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and back… a route that included some miles on an unpaved desert road.
When we finished the trip and returned the car at the airport I found a dead bird stuck in the grill.
So… I guess this is my way of telling you not all birds are good at it.
A bird of prey focuses in on its target and dives. Hawks, for example. They sit on a streetlight, see their meal across the freeway in the median, and dive for it. Unfortunately they don’t see the 70mph semi because they are so focused on their prey.
Smaller birds are more nimble, but do get hit. I’ve seen mocking birds swoop in front of speeding cars get taken out. I’ve also had small birds hit the side of my car. What I don’t know is if they are playing their own version of chicken with other birds to see how close they can cut it without splattering.
It’s a speed thing. Once you start going over 130kmh you start hitting a lot more birds. Just my experience from travelling around the province for work.
Their bones are hollow and they are extremely lightweight. Smaller birds are more or less obliterated when they are hit by a car. There’s nothing left to see but feathers.
I’ve only hit a few birds in decades of driving but each time was the same: a poof and then I look behind me and there’s nothing to see. Maybe a bit of “dust” on the car where the impact was.
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