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- Title
Growing up in an Altered Magnetic Field Affects the Initial Orientation of Young Homing Pigeons.
- Authors
Wiltschko, Wolfgang; Wiltschko, Roswitha; Madden, Robert
- Abstract
To test whether the sun compass of pigeons is calibrated by the magnetic field, a group of young pigeons was raised in an altered magnetic field in which magnetic north was turned ca. 65° (in 1974 and 1975) and 120° (in 1980) clockwise. They could see the sun only in an abnormal relation to the magnetic field, since they were released for exercise flights or training flock tosses only when the sky was totally overcast. On their first flight in sunshine these experimental birds deviated clockwise from the mean of their controls; the amount of this deviation was, however, only about half of the shift in magnetic north. On their second flight in sunshine the clockwise deviation changed to counterclockwise. This change occurred after an exercise flight in sunshine as well as after a homing flight. On later flights in sunshine the differences in orientation between experimentals and controls seemed to disappear. These findings indicate that the magnetic compass is involved in the learning process to establish the sun compass, but the relation between the two systems is more complex than the calibration hypothesis assumed.
- Subjects
PIGEON behavior; MAGNETIC fields; BIRD flight; SUNSHINE; ANIMAL homing; HOMING pigeons
- Publication
Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology, 1983, Vol 12, Issue 2, p135
- ISSN
0340-5443
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/BF00343204