0:00:02 > 0:00:05This is...Deadly 360 -
0:00:05 > 0:00:08the show that pits three of the world's deadliest predators
0:00:08 > 0:00:09against their prey.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Examining both their hunting strategies...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15and their escape tactics...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16from every angle.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21By delving beneath fur and feathers, we find out why a hunt succeeds...
0:00:23 > 0:00:26..and why they sometimes fail.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27One thing's certain...
0:00:27 > 0:00:31prey animals are anything but sitting ducks.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Their defensive strategies keep them alive...
0:00:36 > 0:00:39..and push predators to the limits.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Prepare for Deadly 360.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48This is Deadly 360 mission control...
0:00:48 > 0:00:52where all of today's action and analysis takes place.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56From here we have access to some of the most enthralling hunts
0:00:56 > 0:01:00ever been caught on camera. I've recreated three of the most exciting
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and analysed them from a variety of angles
0:01:03 > 0:01:08and perspectives in true 360 degree style.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The predators we're looking at have to find and catch food
0:01:11 > 0:01:12or they just won't make it.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15In the wild world simply managing to survive
0:01:15 > 0:01:18is the greatest challenge of all. I present to you...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20the birds of prey.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25In today's deadly line-up, we check out the world's fastest animal, the peregrine falcon.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30A super speedster who's armed and dangerous. We also meet the osprey...
0:01:30 > 0:01:36an extreme fishing expert from Canada who's not afraid to get his feet wet.
0:01:36 > 0:01:42And in open wildernesses of Scotland, the golden eagle uses super-powered eyesight to track down their prey.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48Three birds of prey, three very different hunting strategies, but all deadly.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54They look invincible, but there is a continual arms race going on in nature
0:01:54 > 0:01:59which ensures that prey animals are always evolving spectacular ways of taking care of themselves.
0:02:01 > 0:02:08Today's line-up of defenders includes the hare, an agile sprinter with an incredible turn of speed.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12And this aquatic wonder, the flounder...
0:02:12 > 0:02:16a true master of disguise with lightning reactions to match.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20And in an urban metropolis, we investigate the pigeon's aeronautical
0:02:20 > 0:02:23tactics which have to be seen to be believed.
0:02:23 > 0:02:30Three prey, three very different escape strategies to evade even the most persistent of killers.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36So I've introduced you to all of our contenders.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Now it's time to meet our first deadly duo going head-to-head.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46So we have a very strong start with the aerial equivalent of a cheetah -
0:02:46 > 0:02:50it's a high-velocity hunter. This is the peregrine falcon.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Up against it is this.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's a pigeon.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59But which animal has the edge in the race for life?
0:02:59 > 0:03:03It's time to go Deadly 360.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We join the action just before the critical moment of impact.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14This is the peregrine at full speed...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17dropping out of the sky at nearly 200 miles an hour.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The pigeon is flying at about 60 miles an hour so if speed alone
0:03:20 > 0:03:25were the key to this hunt, the odds are in the peregrine's favour.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30And check out those talons... most definitely armed and dangerous.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Looking at this footage, you'd probably think the pigeon doesn't stand a chance
0:03:35 > 0:03:37and if this was the whole story then it wouldn't,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40but things in nature are rarely as simple as this.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43There is a far more complex story going on here, but to fully
0:03:43 > 0:03:50appreciate it we are going to have to go back to the start of the hunt and break it down piece by piece.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Right, the first thing is to show you is where this all happened.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59Pigeons and peregrines are found all over the world, but this particular hunt happened in the UK.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And this is where this peregrine is living. A modern urban city.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06A peregrine's natural habitat is something like this, somewhere wild,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10rugged with cliff faces, perhaps at the coast.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15So it might seem strange that a bird of prey would choose to live in a busy metropolis but think about it...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18There are tall buildings with many nooks and crannies...
0:04:18 > 0:04:22ideal for a family and, with hungry chicks to feed,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27these cliff-like tower blocks offer a view of your hunting ground.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And, where there's city life, the peregrine's food is plentiful.
0:04:31 > 0:04:38pigeons flock to city centres because there's a ready supply of food and we're all too willing to supply it.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41So, that's the scene set.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Let's have a look at some of our predator's attributes.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49OK, let's get a look at those stiletto sharp talons,
0:04:49 > 0:04:55they are driven by really powerful tendons and muscles which means once they have pierced into the prey,
0:04:55 > 0:05:00they lock in place which means there is genuinely no chance of escape.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Next, the beak...
0:05:03 > 0:05:08This is a serious precision tool, it's used for dismembering -
0:05:08 > 0:05:13tearing apart its prey - though obviously it has to pluck it first.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18So add to that the peregrine's astounding eyesight and it makes for a terrifying predator.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22But let's find out about the pigeon's defences.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Well, no sharp beak or claws for them but they're not trying to kill
0:05:26 > 0:05:28the peregrine, they're just trying to escape.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33What they have got is excellent hearing.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36OK, pigeons can hear sounds at much lower frequencies than we can.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41As a peregrine stoops the wind rushes through its feathers creating exactly
0:05:41 > 0:05:46the kind of low frequency sound that pigeons are tuned to listen out for.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Next up is eyesight. Pigeons have fantastic eyesight
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and the eyes are situated at the side of the head
0:05:52 > 0:05:55which is usual for a prey animal because this means
0:05:55 > 0:05:59they can forage for food at the same time as looking out for predators.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Right, back to the hunt.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04And the peregrine has spotted its target.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Not surprising given its eyesight.
0:06:07 > 0:06:14Huge eyes take up half of its skull and have the potential to see prey from two miles away.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16So here's how it works.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20We have just one focal point in our eyes but falcons have two, one is for
0:06:20 > 0:06:26regular binocular vision but the other one can be used to bring distant objects into sharp focus.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29All it needs to do is just tilt its head slightly
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and it brings that particular super sense right into focus.
0:06:33 > 0:06:39With a potential meal in its sight, the peregrine climbs to around half a mile above the city.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42This is a bird which catches its prey in midair -
0:06:42 > 0:06:47it can't pin it onto the ground like other birds of prey - and to do that it needs speed.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52The higher it climbs, the further it can fall, and that's where its speed comes from.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55The hope is, that despite the pigeons excellent hearing,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59the peregrine's speedy approach means the pigeon
0:06:59 > 0:07:01won't be able to react to it. Here it goes...
0:07:01 > 0:07:07This is called the stoop and it's the reason why the peregrines can reach speeds of 200 miles an hour.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09By folding its wings right back,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13it effectively torpedoes its way towards the pigeon.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20They really are quite something, perhaps the closest that human ingenuity has come to creating
0:07:20 > 0:07:24the flight of the peregrine is with the invention of the jet engine.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29So, I decided to give it a try myself by going up in a fighter plane.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Have a look at this. Here we go!
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Oh, my goodness!
0:07:52 > 0:07:57I think we pulled about 5G there... in that upward pull.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01And, for the peregrine, that would all be totally effortless.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03That's part of its everyday life.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07But, for me, I can just feel my whole body weight being pulled back into the plane
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and the force of gravity pulling on me.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16This is a peregrine in the flesh and the feathers
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and I think they are even more impressive than any jet fighter.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25When I was in that plane we got up to G-forces of about 5G and I nearly lost my lunch.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30Well, the peregrine can do 25G pulling out of a stoop with no problem whatsoever.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35And look at the size of her, she is not absolutely massive but she is built for speed, look at
0:08:35 > 0:08:41those wings, long thin pointed ended, whippy great for getting up a pace really, really quickly.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46And the eyes are also really distinctive, you can see there that third eyelid,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the nictitating membrane just moving across the eye,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51that works almost like goggles to make sure it
0:08:51 > 0:08:56keeps dust and dirt out of the eyes as they are flying at great speeds.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59She is so attentive and I think she has spotted something
0:08:59 > 0:09:01she might want to fly off and find.
0:09:01 > 0:09:08So, I think I am just going to let you see a peregrine taking off, what do you reckon?
0:09:08 > 0:09:14Yes, not bad, now it's time to get back to the hunt.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19And with the peregrine freefalling in midair we reveal another incredible adaptation.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22And it's all to do with its nostrils.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29As a peregrine dives at nearly 200mph the wind rushes into its nostrils at the same speed.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34Without these cone shaped baffles which divert the spread of air it could easily put pressure
0:09:34 > 0:09:38on its brain and its lungs causing it to pass out.
0:09:38 > 0:09:44Meanwhile, the pigeons acute hearing has alerted it to the peregrine and it's making a hasty retreat.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50If the peregrine doesn't make its kill at the end of the stoop attack, the hunt becomes a level race.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52This is where the pigeon has the upper edge.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Pigeons might not look impressive on the ground,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01in fact, they can look a little bit comical, but that is certainly not the case when they are up in the air.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05In straight, flat-out level flight, they would easily outpace
0:10:05 > 0:10:09our peregrine and they have one other thing on their side, that is stamina,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14endurance, the ability to fly for hours without tiring. So, how do they manage that?
0:10:14 > 0:10:20Pigeons are much underestimated and underrated birds. They're often thought of as city centre pests.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I think that's a massive mistake. Let's have a closer look...
0:10:24 > 0:10:30That huge puffed out breast, it might make them look a bit silly when they are walking around on the ground,
0:10:30 > 0:10:36but underneath the breast feathers is a massive heart and lungs. Proportionally they're four times
0:10:36 > 0:10:41larger than you would find on a human being. What that does is drive oxygenated blood around the body
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and to the flight muscles that drive the wings.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48That means that a pigeon can fly as much as 500 miles in a day
0:10:48 > 0:10:55at an average of 60mph. That's certainly far more than our peregrine can manage.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59This is the crucial moment of the hunt. The peregrine has selected
0:10:59 > 0:11:02its target and it's plummeting towards it at speed...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06It doesn't look like the pigeon has noticed him...
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Right, the talons are spread and...
0:11:09 > 0:11:14No! He missed! Hang on a second, let's take a closer look at that.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20Right, now just at the moment of impact the pigeon stopped dead
0:11:20 > 0:11:21and banked away to the side.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26The peregrine wasn't able to stop in time and has done a complete flyby.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29The pigeon either saw or heard it coming and took evasive action
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and now our peregrine is going to have to do the same.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35That was a seriously close call.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39So the peregrine might be the fastest bird that has ever lived but it has
0:11:39 > 0:11:45a very daring, even risky, hunting strategy and actually only an average of one in five hunts
0:11:45 > 0:11:49will be successful, so, really, the odds are in favour of the pigeon.
0:11:49 > 0:11:56So the peregrine may have unmatchable speed, keen eyesight and tearing talons...
0:11:56 > 0:12:01But match those against the pigeon's own eyesight, incredible hearing
0:12:01 > 0:12:08and aeronautical tactics and I think you'll agree, the pigeon is not to be underestimated.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Now onto our next pair of hunters locked in a battle for survival.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18This is the golden eagle. At four and a half times heavier
0:12:18 > 0:12:22than the peregrine falcon, he's a serious flying heavyweight.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26And up against it is this - the fast sprinting hare.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29But which has the edge in the race for life?
0:12:29 > 0:12:35It's time to go Deadly 360.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Once again, we witness the final stages of the hunt...
0:12:40 > 0:12:46the golden eagle exhibiting deadly grace as it lines up for a collision course with its quarry, the hare.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Running on land never appears quite as graceful but don't be under any
0:12:50 > 0:12:54illusions at just how well adapted the hare is in this situation.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Whoa, that hare is history.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Well...maybe...
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Actually, I am not going to tell you what happened yet.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09First of all, let's rewind to the beginning of that hunt and find out how this whole thing got started.
0:13:10 > 0:13:17This battle again takes place in the UK but this time we head to Scotland, the Highlands to be precise.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And this habitat couldn't be more different to the peregrine's city backdrop.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25No tall buildings here, just vast open wilderness.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Perfect for a bird that spends most of its time in the air scouring the landscape.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33There is prey down there, concealed amongst the clumps of heather -
0:13:33 > 0:13:40you've just got to be able to spot it and golden eagle is an expert at doing just that.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44This is a seriously eagle-eyed bird, it is believed their eyesight could be eight times
0:13:44 > 0:13:49more effective than ours and if a hare moves, it can be spotted from as much as two miles away.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56Add to that these curved kitchen knife talons and this is a seriously scary bird.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00So, the hare, is it just a defenceless little bunny?
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Well, no. As you can see, they have the ability to run at blistering pace.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08When they put the pedal down, they can really motor.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And they also have the ability to change pace and change direction
0:14:11 > 0:14:16and bob and weave and this is easily enough to put a golden eagle off its stride.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Right, back to the hunt.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And the first thing the golden eagle does is take to the air.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26It's unlikely he's actually spotted anything at this stage, but he needs to up high in order
0:14:26 > 0:14:29to begin surveillance of the area with those super powered eyes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:37Soaring around like this doesn't use up as much energy as you might think. The secret is in the wings.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40With those wings and flight feathers fully outstretched,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45it has a huge surface area which generates an enormous amount of lift.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48You can see it flapping its wings, but it won't need to do that often.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53It will just use rising warm air currents to drive itself airborne.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58The tail is used for balance but also for micro adjustments in its steering as well. It can be spread
0:14:58 > 0:15:02really broad and wide which gives it more surface area or drawn in
0:15:02 > 0:15:06very close and streamlined when it's about to dive towards its prey.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09That can be as much as a hundred miles an hour.
0:15:11 > 0:15:17Obviously a false alarm that time. We'll just let him reset and join him again shortly.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23So this is a golden eagle, one of the largest and the most impressive birds of prey found in the whole world
0:15:23 > 0:15:27and the first thing you will notice is just the sheer scale of her.
0:15:27 > 0:15:34She is enormous, the wingspan is absolutely colossal, look at that.
0:15:34 > 0:15:41A fully-grown female golden eagle can have a wingspan of over two metres and sometimes when they are flying,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43they pretty much seem to block out the sun,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47but it's remarkably light and there is a real reason for that.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51A golden eagle's skeleton is only about 5% of its body weight.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56For a mammal like me it's 20% of our body weight and the bones have a very different structure to our own.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00If you look at them close up, they are honeycomb on the inside
0:16:00 > 0:16:03rather than solid like ours are. In fact the entire skeleton
0:16:03 > 0:16:11only weighs about 225g which is about the same as a packet of biscuits, absolutely staggering.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Now, it's back to the hunt...
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And with the eagle still scouring the landscape
0:16:19 > 0:16:22it gives us a chance to check out the hare's defensive strategy.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Hares don't dig burrows like rabbits do,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29so they don't have the option to just disappear underground when they see a threat.
0:16:29 > 0:16:35Instead what they can do is just sit very, very still and their camouflaged coat
0:16:35 > 0:16:40could allow them to stay unnoticed. After all, the eagle's eyesight is very much based around movement.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46So, that's option number one and not a bad one, particularly in thick heather like this,
0:16:46 > 0:16:54but, if you get spotted, that obviously isn't going to work, so the next option is to leg it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Hares have got unbelievable pace and a very, very different kind of stride to a rabbit.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04They're not hopping, they are pretty much leaping at two metres with every single bound.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06That's four times their own body length,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11which is kind of like me bounding the length of a truck with every single stride.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13In full-out pace, the golden eagle is quicker,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17so what it has to do is, at the very last moment,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19change speed, change direction,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23and just hope that the eagle does a flyby.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Hares can actually be pretty feisty.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28In the spring you see them boxing with each other and they actually
0:17:28 > 0:17:32throw a pretty mean punch, but not enough to put off a golden eagle.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35If they're going to escape, they're going to have to run.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Now, all the power for the running is really coming from the rear limbs.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43About 25% of the muscle mass is here in the back legs.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Let's get a look at their gait. You can see they spend most of their time in the air
0:17:48 > 0:17:54and the legs are crossing over, more like you would expect from a cheetah or a greyhound, really.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57They really are incredible fast. They can get up to 40mph
0:17:57 > 0:18:01which is twice the speed of an Olympic sprinter.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Right, we're in the final stages of the hunt now.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10And eagle's eyesight has led it to a hare in the grass.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12The hare has decided to sit it out.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16First, the eagle locks on to a shape.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Next, it twists over to line itself up for the kill.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Distance is judged with extraordinary precision. It's still waiting.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29By sinking low into the grass it's now out of the eagle's sight.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Now, it's sneaking up the hill.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34The eagle has such a strong mental image,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36that if the hare moves very slightly,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38the eagle might miss it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44OK, the light's beginning to drop at the end of the day,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47so the eagle's eyesight will be rendered useless.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50It has to make its kill now, or it's just not going to happen.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53This time, the hare is on the run.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02OK, it's turning in again, building up some speed, rocketing down towards the hare.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04The talons come into position...
0:19:04 > 0:19:09This is the crucial moment. It's going to stab with those talons.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10And...
0:19:13 > 0:19:15It's all over.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20The golden eagle is one of the most powerful and intimidating birds of prey in the world.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23They are capable of taking on prey as large as a deer
0:19:23 > 0:19:29or an antelope, but, just like the peregrine falcon, only one in five hunts is going to end in success.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34So the hare put up a pretty good fight, cunning camouflage,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37an impressive turn of speed and dancing manoeuvrability.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42But the golden eagle's eyesight, precision flying
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and lethal talons secured it an impressive victory in the end.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54And this is our last deadly duo locked in a battle for life or death.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00This is the master fisherman, the osprey.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05And up against it is this - a flounder.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09But which animal has the edge in the race for survival?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12It's time to go 360.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19We join the action at its flashpoint...
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and if fish have nightmares, then this is it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Once an osprey locks onto a target from 30 metres up in the sky,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28it begins a descent that sets the flounder into sheer panic.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32As you can see here, the flounder can hide...
0:20:32 > 0:20:36but is that enough from a bird who has got his eyes on a swimming prize?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It's fish supper time! Well, not for sure.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44As you are probably beginning to gather,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48things don't really work that easily on Deadly 360,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53so let's rewind the action and see how things really unfold.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56This hunt takes place here in Newfoundland, Canada.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58And more specifically, here...
0:20:58 > 0:21:02an estuary marking the boundary between the sea and the land.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06These are rich hunting grounds for all sorts of animals because they are home to a whole host of shrimps,
0:21:06 > 0:21:12crabs and small fish which are ideal pickings for the flounder.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16He's got his odd shaped eyes set on this particular feast.
0:21:16 > 0:21:23But there is an even more lethal hunter lurking in nearby trees. Time to see our osprey in action.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27So with the male and female osprey in their huge tree-top nest
0:21:27 > 0:21:30it's a perfect opportunity to look at those talons.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They're longer, thinner, more curved than the peregrine
0:21:33 > 0:21:39or the golden eagle which means they can skewer an pierce right through a fish, acting just like fish hooks.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43This enables the bird to fly away with even the slimiest of fish.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Tiny little nodules on the underside of the toes give it even better grip.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52And, like all birds of prey it has an incredible sense of sight.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Surely our flounder's going to stand no chance whatsoever against that.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The flounder's eyesight is pretty unusual. It's a flat fish,
0:21:59 > 0:22:04it lives on the bottom, so its eyes have migrated around to one side
0:22:04 > 0:22:09of its body, they are on top which means they are well placed to spot any kind of danger coming from above.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11However, they are only really effective
0:22:11 > 0:22:15when something is very close, it's best method of defence is camouflage.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Staying still is really effective because the osprey is looking out
0:22:19 > 0:22:22for movement but it goes way better than that. This is an animal
0:22:22 > 0:22:25that can completely change colour to match its surroundings.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So how does it manage that?
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Well, it uses the same mechanism as you find in the octopus, the squid,
0:22:32 > 0:22:38the cuttlefish, chameleons as well but nothing like as fast as in the flounder, have a look at this.
0:22:38 > 0:22:44Ok, now obviously a chess board is not the natural habitat of the flounder but this extreme challenge
0:22:44 > 0:22:47shows how dramatic that colour change can be.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51First, it looks around with its eyes and checks out the colour of its environment,
0:22:51 > 0:22:56then it actually starts to change colour, look at this, it's going
0:22:56 > 0:22:59black and white to match the squares of the chessboard beneath it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:06It does that using chromatophores, tiny pigment containing cells beneath the surface of the skin.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10This is one of the most challenging hunts in the whole animal kingdom.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Not only is the osprey dealing with a prey with incredible camouflage
0:23:14 > 0:23:20but it's dealing with glare from the sun and wind speed, and from the constantly changing tides.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26Twice a day, the seas rise and fall and this is incredibly important to the osprey's chance of success.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28They come in at a more measured pace
0:23:28 > 0:23:30than the peregrine or the golden eagle -
0:23:30 > 0:23:35around about 25mph - and they can only plunge to about a metre below the surface.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40So at high tide the water is going to be too deep for it to try and attack a bottom-living fish like a flounder.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45You can see this one has been successful - timing is absolutely everything.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Right, back up in the skies, our osprey is out looking for any sign of movement.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Now the tide is in, so the odds are against the osprey,
0:23:53 > 0:23:58because the water is just too deep and the fish are beyond the osprey's diving range of a metre.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02But fortune favours the trier and the osprey makes an attempt.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09The flounder's eyesight and lightning reactions did not let him down there.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Let's see this back in slow motion.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Right, the osprey has locked on to its target, the eyes remain
0:24:17 > 0:24:19fixed on the fish, the head's down,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22the wings fold in and it drops down towards the water like a bullet.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Look at this - at the last moment the legs swing forward,
0:24:25 > 0:24:30aiming the talons down almost like daggers towards the fish.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Right, now this time it's missed its target, but you have to say it is an awesome spectacle.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39So, for the osprey, once it has caught the fish, that's just the start of the challenge.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Look at the enormous effort it has to expend just getting out of the water with that huge prey item.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Now, first of all, the osprey has waterproof feathers
0:24:47 > 0:24:51that makes it much, much easier but still it's an enormous effort.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56Right now this skeleton here should give us an idea of how it manages to do it.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Like the golden eagle it does have honeycombed, lightweight bones
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and they are all fairly small apart from this.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07This breastbone is where the mighty pectoral muscles fix
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and it's got a thick keel running down the centre.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13The breast muscles are absolutely vast -
0:25:13 > 0:25:16they can be 20% of this animal's body weight.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20It uses those huge muscles to power itself out of the water,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22even carrying quite a sizeable fish.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Right, tide levels are absolutely perfect. It's time for our osprey to go back to the hunt.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Only the greedy flounders still exploiting the rich feeding grounds
0:25:33 > 0:25:38have ignored the tide's retreat and it's those that are now in mortal danger.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The osprey hovers above the water waiting for the slightest movement.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Unaware of the danger above it, the flounder makes its own kill,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50but in doing so reveals to the osprey its precise location.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Only now have the flounders eyes have alerted it to the airborne predator
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and it makes a last ditch attempt at hiding in the sand.
0:25:57 > 0:26:05Ordinarily, this is a great defence strategy, but remember it only works if the bird hasn't seen it first.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06The osprey has seen it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11All the fish can do now is hope it has buried itself in water deeper than a metre.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The osprey begins its descent...
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And bang...it hits the water.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26And reaches the fish...
0:26:26 > 0:26:30in go razor-sharp talons. Now for the difficult part...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33getting out of the water.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37After several seconds it emerges with its prize.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Success.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46At first glance, the osprey's hunting method
0:26:46 > 0:26:49might seem the most challenging, but they are remarkably efficient.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53A young bird that's inexperienced might only succeed with 40%
0:26:53 > 0:26:57of its hunts, but that's still better than a peregrine or a golden eagle.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02A fully experienced mature bird could succeed as much as 90% of the time.
0:27:02 > 0:27:09For the flounder, its defence strategy includes camouflage, eyesight, and electric reactions.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14But it was up against the osprey, with superb vision,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17razor-like talons and incredible muscle power.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21You have to agree the osprey is a fishing king.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29We have looked at three birds of prey with three very different strategies
0:27:29 > 0:27:32for staying alive - pace, power and precision.
0:27:32 > 0:27:39They look like unbeatable hunters, they seem to dominate the skies, but their prey is anything but helpless.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41That's all we've got time for.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Join us next time as three more pairs of animals go head-to-head
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and we analyse the action Deadly 360 style.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk