Bempton birds – eyelids

Blinking birds. Gannets are everywhere at Bempton Cliffs. I’m hoping to get a good look at their eyes. Gannets’ eyes are special.

Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

This one has closed its eyelids. Most birds don’t have eyelids. Gannets do, because they hit the water head first at 60mph when they dive and that would damage them otherwise.

It’s one of several special adaptations they have to diving I described here:

Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

This one has its eyelids open:

Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Then I see its third eyelid flick across. It moves from front to back. Its scientific name is a nictitating membrane.

Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The membrane moistens the eye and protects it from dust. Amazingly, in Gannets, it’s also see-through, so a Gannet can blink and still see through transparent eyelids. How cool is that?

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