Peregrines could use false attacks to make dunlins flock, but even experienced observers cannot be sure which attacks are serious. So the researchers looked at the dunlins’ behavior instead.
The scientists watched them from dawn to dusk for 34 days and analyzed a six-hour period centering on high tide. They also drew on 151 days of data recording peregrine attacks, to estimate the risk of predation at different times of day.
Peregrine falcons set off false alarms to make prey easier to catch