In vivo imaging of raptor retina with ultra high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Among birds, raptors are well known for their exceptional eyesight, which is partly due to the unique structure of their retina. Because the raptor retina is the most advanced of any animal species, in vivo examination of its structure would be remarkable. Furthermore, a noticeable percentage of traumatic ocular injuries are identified in birds of prey presented to rehabilitation facilities. Injuries affecting the posterior segment have been considered as a major impact on raptor vision. Hence, in vivo examination of the structure of the posterior segment of the raptors would be helpful for the diagnosis of traumatized birds. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of ultrahigh-resolution Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) for non contact in vivo imaging of the retina of birds of prey, which to the best of our knowledge has never been attempted. For the first time we present high quality OCT images of the retina of two species of bird of prey, one diurnal hawk and one nocturnal owl.