It’s dog eat dog out there, especially in the animal kingdom. But this well-received idiom referring to the ruthless behavior of competition applies to far more than just dogs; in fact, one might even say it applies to just about any animal out there.
In the world of avian species, things are no different. Smaller birds like pigeons are often preyed upon by larger birds such as falcons. The latter, with their powerful forward-facing eyes and majestic airborne speed can be somewhat adept at snagging their less-skilled prey. But we shouldn’t already rule the pigeon out.
When it comes to survival, pigeons will do just whatever must to out-fly a potential predator. Despite being rougher around the edges, relentlessly flapping their wings to maintain momentum, pigeons are built for endurance. Pigeons also harbor side-mounted eyes, which lets the birds monitor the skies for threats while simultaneously scouring the Earth for tasty insects.
While the falcon is undoubtedly a faster glider, a pigeon’s flying method gives it the edge in terms of agility, especially in wooded areas. They can quickly change their trajectory to fly into a tree, whereas a falcon relies on wide open air to glide with minimal effort.
In this video, we witness a pigeon fly for its life and escape a hungry falcon. It was lucky to get away, but fortunately its skills and surroundings worked to its favor. The falcon will just have to find another meal.
Related: This bird can accurately mimic just about any sound imaginable
