Fig. 1. Setup of the light equipment used in this study to produce full-spectrum
and monochromatic light. We used two xenon arc lamps, each lamp distributing
light to three orientation cages. The light first passed through a column of
double-distilled water and then entered a trifurcated glass fibre bundle, at
which end a filter holder contained interference filters and/or neutral
density filters to produce monochromatic light and/or to reduce light
intensity, respectively. Before entering the orientation cage, the filtered
light passed through 1-4 opaque Plexiglas sheets that acted as diffusers and
that were placed directly on the top of the orientation cage so that the birds
could not see the light source as a point.