Mapping of functional activity in the falcon visual system with [14C] 2-deoxyglucose

[14C] 2-Deoxyglucose uptake was mapped in the brain of one awake falcon which had one eye covered during the experiment, with the aim of providing tentative data on the identification of this bird's visual centers. Most of the structures with increased [14C] 2-Deoxyglucose uptake receive information from the exposed eye. Labeling was rather symmetrical in the hyperstriatum which receives bilateral projections from the visual thalamic centers. The results are largely consistent with what is known about the visual pathways in pigeons and owls. The falcon's visual Wulst as detected by the [14C] 2-Deoxyglucose labeling, is proportionally larger than that found in the pigeon. This result is consistent with the marked representation of the binocular visual field in the falcon's Wulst.