Bird Shadows

by Alan Millar

Years ago, I was listening to a science podcast where they tried to answer any question that they could. Someone asked, “what are the chances on a given stretch of two-lane road that a cyclist, a car going the same way and a car going the other way would pass each other at the same time?”   

Having experienced this phenomenon many times, I was pleased to hear that there was a real answer and it was not zero, but more along the lines of 10-15% depending on the traffic density.  Since this experience is much more memorable for the cyclist trying to stay on the road without taking up space, it certainly seems like it happens all the time.

So we were out riding one day and I noticed a bird shadow passing overhead.  What were the chances that we would encounter a bird shadow out on a ride?  Were they more or less the same as the two simultaneous cars?  They were certainly less terrifying, but were they as rare – only 10 to 15% probability depending on bird density?  

Once I started really noticing, it turned out that there were a lot of bird shadows out there.  It seems like just about any ride on a sunny day generates a visible bird shadow passing overhead.   Sometimes you can see the bird, but most of the time you end up blinded by the sun.  Not being an ornithologist, but willing to believe almost anything, I think that the birds are curious enough to fly over and check us out.  In other words, it’s not just a small, but realistic chance like the two large trucks that pass each other and you on your bicycle at the same time.  Those little bird brains are intrigued by us balancing on our two wheels, and fly out of their way to see what is happening. I know the large robin that hit me on the helmet twice one spring morning was interested enough to want me out of that stretch of road right now.  

This is obviously fertile ground for further study, especially with a bike-oriented college nearby. I can see a master’s thesis or maybe a PHD.  Picture earnest grad students with clickers in their hands headed out on rides – not for the fun of it, but in order to document bird density and curiosity.  Might be tough to keep track of bird shadows on your techy MTB rides, but the endless gravel, and open roads lend themselves to further research.

So check it out for yourself on your next ride.  Do you see the bird shadows and spare a thought for our fellow occupants on the planet?  Or does it just trigger a version of the Cat Steven’s tune- leaping and hoppin’ on a bird shadow?