A magnetic pulse does not affect free-flight navigation behaviour of a medium-distance songbird migrant in spring
- Current evidence suggests that migratory animals extract map information from the geomagnetic field for true navigation. The sensory basis underlying this feat is elusive, but presumably involves magnetic particles. A common experimental manipulation procedure consists of pre-treating animals with a magnetic pulse, with the aim of re-magnetising particles to alter the internal representation of the external field prior to a navigation task. Although pulsing provoked deflected bearings in caged songbirds, analogous studies with free-flying songbirds yielded inconsistent results. Here, we pulsed European robins (Erithacus rubecula) at an offshore stopover site during spring migration and monitored their free-flight behaviour with a regional-scale network of radio-receiving stations. We found no pulse effect on departure probability, nocturnal departure timing departure direction or consistency of flight direction. This suggests either no use of the geomagnetic map by our birds, or that magnetic pulses do not affect the sensoryCurrent evidence suggests that migratory animals extract map information from the geomagnetic field for true navigation. The sensory basis underlying this feat is elusive, but presumably involves magnetic particles. A common experimental manipulation procedure consists of pre-treating animals with a magnetic pulse, with the aim of re-magnetising particles to alter the internal representation of the external field prior to a navigation task. Although pulsing provoked deflected bearings in caged songbirds, analogous studies with free-flying songbirds yielded inconsistent results. Here, we pulsed European robins (Erithacus rubecula) at an offshore stopover site during spring migration and monitored their free-flight behaviour with a regional-scale network of radio-receiving stations. We found no pulse effect on departure probability, nocturnal departure timing departure direction or consistency of flight direction. This suggests either no use of the geomagnetic map by our birds, or that magnetic pulses do not affect the sensory system underlying geomagnetic map detection.…
Author details: | Thiemo KarwinkelORCiDGND, Michael WinklhoferORCiDGND, Lars Erik Janner, Vera Brust, Ommo HüppopGND, Franz BairleinGND, Heiko SchmaljohannORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.244473 |
ISSN: | 0022-0949 |
ISSN: | 1477-9145 |
Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36111526 |
Title of parent work (English): | The journal of experimental biology |
Publisher: | Company of Biologists |
Place of publishing: | Cambridge |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2022/10/03 |
Publication year: | 2022 |
Release date: | 2024/08/22 |
Tag: | bird migration; magnetic map; magnetic pulse; magnetic-particlebased sensor; magnetoreception; navigation |
Volume: | 225 |
Issue: | 19 |
Article number: | jeb244473 |
Number of pages: | 7 |
Funding institution: | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) [Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB); 1372, 395940726, SCHM 2647/3-1, SCHM 2647/4-1, SCHM 2647/7-1]; Federal; Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); Federal Ministry for the; Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) [351582210A,; 351986140A] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik / 530 Physik |
5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie | |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Hybrid Open-Access |
License (German): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |