Summary
To test whether the sun compass of pigeons is calibrated by the magnetic field, a group of young pigeons was raised in an altered magnetic field in which magnetic north was turned ca. 65o (in 1974 and 1975) and 120o (in 1980) clockwise. They could see the sun only in an abnormal relation to the magnetic field, since they were released for exercise flights or training flock tosses only when the sky was totally overcast.
On their first flight in sunshine these experimental birds deviated clockwise from the mean of their controls; the amount of this deviation was, however, only about half of the shift in magnetic north. On their second flight in sunshine the clock-wise deviation changed to counterclockwise. This change occurred after an exercise flight in sunshine as well as after a homing flight. On later flights in sunshine the differences in orientation between experimentals and controls seemed to disappear.
These findings indicate that the magnetic compass is involved in the learning process to establish the sun compass, but the relation between the two systems is more complex than the calibration hypothesis assumed.
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Died on August 17, 1980
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Wiltschko, W., Wiltschko, R., Keeton, W.T. et al. Growing up in an altered magnetic field affects the initial orientation of young homing pigeons. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 12, 135–142 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00343204
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00343204