QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

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

Journal of Experimental Biology 70,105-123 (1977)
Published by Company of Biologists 1977

Magnetic Fields and the Orientation of Homing Pigeons under Sun

CHARLES WALCOTT ¹

¹ Department of Biology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, 11794, U.S.A.

Applying a magnetic field of 0.1 Gs (1 gauss = 10_-4T) to the heads of pigeons homing from unfamiliar release sites significantly increased the scatter of the birds' vanishing bearings. A magnetic field of 0.3 gauss caused no difference between the orientation of birds wearing coils with either their north or south pole up. But a field of 0.6 gauss (equal to that of the Earth) produced a small difference in the vanishing bearings of the two groups. Since an applied magnetic field has an effect on pigeon orientation under sun, it appears that pigeons do not simply switch between a magnetic and a sun compass, but that there is some interaction between the two systems.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Walcott Multi-modal Orientation Cues in Homing Pigeons Integr. Comp. Biol., June 1, 2005; 45(3): 574 - 581. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C Walcott, J. Gould, and J. Kirschvink Pigeons have magnets Science, September 7, 1979; 205(4410): 1027 - 1029. [Abstract] [PDF]