Or clouds passing in front of the sun.
Hawks may catch a few unwary rabbits and ground hogs.
I guess you have no experience with a total eclipse.
Partial eclipses: most people except for those in a ~100 mile wide band across the US with a clear view of the sun during the right two minutes, will only see a partial eclipse. Partial eclipses are like clouds, down an f-stop or two.
During a TOTAL eclipse, the sun gives off about as much light as a full moon. Stars and planets are visible. And the animals, birds and maybe small rodents, do go nuts as I recall. It's been a while. The only total eclipse I've witnessed was on March 7, 1970. I was also in the path of totality on July 20, 1963, but clouds obscured the sun a few minutes before totality where I was. I think the animals went nuts then too, but I'm not sure.
ML/NJ