spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Walcott, C.
Right arrow Articles by Lednor, A. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Walcott, C.
Right arrow Articles by Lednor, A. J.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 134, Issue 1 27-41, Copyright © 1988 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Homing of magnetized and demagnetized pigeons

C Walcott, JL Gould and AJ Lednor
Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.

Homing pigeons appear to use the earth's magnetic field as a compass and perhaps as part of their position-finding system or 'map'. The sensory system they use to detect magnetic fields is unknown, but two current possibilities are some mode of response by the pineal organ or by the visual system, or it may be based on the magnetite crystals found in their heads. Three series of experiments to test the involvement of magnetite are reported here. The alignment of the permanent magnetic domains in the birds heads was altered by (a) demagnetizing the birds, (b) magnetizing them with a strong magnetic field and (c) exposing the birds to a strong magnetic gradient. None of these treatments had a marked effect on the pigeon's orientation or homing under sunny skies, but a few results obtained under overcast skies suggest that demagnetizing the birds may have increased the scatter of their vanishing bearings. Perhaps pigeons use one magnetic sensor for their magnetic compass and another for some component of the map.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Exp. Biol.Home page
W. Wiltschko, U. Munro, R. Wiltschko, and J. L. Kirschvink
Magnetite-based magnetoreception in birds: the effect of a biasing field and a pulse on migratory behavior
J. Exp. Biol., October 1, 2002; 205(19): 3031 - 3037.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur J MineralHome page
M. WINKLHOFER, E. HOLTKAMP-ROTZLER, M. HANZLIK, G. FLEISSNER, and N. PETERSEN
Clusters of superparamagnetic magnetite particles in the upper-beak skin of homing pigeons: evidence of a magnetoreceptor?
European Journal of Mineralogy, August 1, 2001; 13(4): 659 - 669.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1988