> they can't see to fly without risking hitting something. This sentence makes me wonder: are they docile because it genuinely calms them, or are they entering

> they can't see to fly without risking hitting something. This sentence makes me wonder: are they docile because it genuinely calms them, or are they entering a sort of helpless automatic panic mode, like "OMFG no escape, can't fly, can't move"? The latter sounds like the bird is getting a terrifying experience.