What if humans had eagle vision?

What Human Vision Would Be Like with Eagle Eyes

Eagles and other birds of prey can see 4–5 times farther than an average human. If a person had the same vision as an eagle, they would be able to stand on top of a 10-storey building and see an ant crawling on the ground. Or clearly make out the actors’ facial expressions while sitting in the very back row of a theatre.

Objects within the field of view would appear vividly colored, showing an enormous range of shades, because eagles have very powerful color vision.

How Far and Clearly an Eagle Can See

Eagle vision allows them to detect objects at much greater distances than humans can. That is why they are able to spot small prey from high above and quickly focus on it.

Advantages of Eagle Color Vision

Objects would appear not only sharper but also richer in color. With eagle-like vision, a person would be able to distinguish more shades and notice fine details more easily.

Eagle vs Human Field of View

The visual field would also increase — almost twice as much. A typical human field of view is about 180 degrees, while an eagle’s field of view reaches up to 340 degrees, which gives a clear advantage for hunting and self-defence.

Why We Would Need to Move Our Head More Often

However, with such vision we would have to constantly move our head to “aim” this built-in telephoto lens at the right area.

Extra Eyelids in Birds of Prey

A human with eagle-like eyes would also have two pairs of eyelids. One pair is used when the bird is at rest. The second pair is needed during flight.

Why Eagles Need a Second Pair of Eyelids

First of all, they protect the eye from the air stream, since an eagle’s diving speed can reach around 100 km/h. This additional eyelid covers the eye so that it stays clean and clear.

Would Eagle Vision Help in Everyday Life?

And despite all this, eagle vision would hardly change the way we see most everyday objects around us. It wouldn’t really affect our ability to read from a computer screen or to find a needed item in the closet.