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Journal of Experimental Biology 30,243-267 (1953)
Published by Company of Biologists 1953

Sun Navigation in Homing Pigeons

G. V. T. MATTHEWS ¹

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge

1. The accumulated data of a long series of homing experiments carried out with young pigeons is examined in statistical detail.

2. Bico-ordinate navigation can only be demonstrated in sunny conditions, and with overcast skies the birds scatter at random. This holds for a number of different experimental situations.

3. The hypothesis that pigeons use a form of sun-navigation, deriving latitude and longitude from the sun position alone is re-examined in detail. None of the requirements are outside the theoretical range of the organ concerned, or beyond the bounds of possibility.

4. Examination of the errors made under sunny conditions shows that their nature and variation are as expected on the basis of the hypothesis. So also is the variation in error with the length of time of observation.

5. By excluding sun and sky for a number of days before release a re-orientation away from home was obtained. This could only be explained if the birds were failing to correct for the seasonal variation in the sun's altitude, and deriving their latitude from altitude measurements.

6. Radical changes in accustomed release times produced some increase in longitude errors.

7. After treatment aimed at desynchronizing any internal chronometer a disorientation was obtained in the field. It is therefore very probable that longitude determination is on a time basis, as proposed in the hypothesis.

8. Future lines of research in this problem are indicated.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. T. Keeton Orientation by Pigeons: Is the Sun Necessary? Science, August 29, 1969; 165(3896): 922 - 928. [Abstract] [PDF]

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