Why do night birds like the owl see well in dim light but day birds like the eagle see well in bright daylight?
AOwls have more rods (which detect dim light) and a larger pupil; eagles have more cones (which need bright light for sharp colour vision)
BOwls' eyes glow in the dark
COwls have more cones, eagles have more rods
DEagles do not see anything in dim light
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Owls have more rods (which detect dim light) and a larger pupil; eagles have more cones (which need bright light for sharp colour vision)
The retina has two kinds of light-detecting cells: rods (very sensitive to dim light, no colour) and cones (need bright light, sense colour). Owls' retinas are rod-heavy and the eyes have a large cornea/pupil — superb at low light. Day-flying birds of prey rely on cone-heavy retinas for sharp, colourful vision in daylight.
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