The early bird catches the worm...

TRY SNEAKING up on a pigeon. It seems to have eyes in the back of its head. In fact, it has a visual range of 340º, leaving little or no blind spot especially when the bird is boppin’ along, head dipping and rising like one of those toy dogs in the back windows of cars.

Meanwhile, the woodcock, a strange looking bird, can literally see what’s going on behind it. In the course of evolution, its eyes have moved to a position high on its head and far to the sides, giving a visual field of 360º. Thus, it can see in all directions at once.

Even with its beak buried up to its nostrils as it probes for food, it can still keep a look-out for predators approaching from behind or, indeed, from any angle. It is no wonder that this miracle of nature looks bizarre; its ears are below the eyes to the front of its skull. This is because there was no other place to put them but as any shooter will tell you, in the deep, dark forests where woodcock roam they serve them well.