Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Disorientation of inexperienced young pigeons after transportation in total darkness

Abstract

Leask's proposal1 that magnetic field detection in birds is accomplished by an optical double-resonance process in the rhodopsin molecules in the retina, a spatially well ordered cellular array, is intriguing. Being an axial rather than a polar phenomenon, it is consistent with observations that birds do not make use of the polarity of the magnetic field2. The hypothesis nevertheless requires that light is necessary for sensing magnetic fields, which has prompted us to perform the homing experiments with pigeons reported here. It is known that transportation in a distorted magnetic field causes an increase in scatter, frequently even random, in the initial orientation of young pigeons3–6, and we sought to discover whether transportation in total darkness would have a similar effect. The results are consistent with Leask's hypothesis but their explanation is not unambiguous. Plainly, however, transportation in total darkness, like the disruption of magnetic or olfactory3,7 information en route, is another way of preventing the collection of meaningful orientation information during the outward journey to the release site.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Leask, M. J. M. Nature 267, 144–145 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wiltschko, W. & Wiltschko, R. Science 176, 62–64 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Papi, F., Ioalè, P., Fiaschi, V., Benvenuti, S. & Baldaccini, N. E. Animal Migration, Navigation and Homing (eds Schmidt-Koenig, K. & Keeton, W. T.) 65–77 (Springer, Berlin, 1978).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Kiepenheuer, J. Naturwissenschaften 65, 113 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wiltschko, R. & Wiltschko, W. Naturwissenschaften 65, 112–113 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wiltschko, R., Wiltschko, W. & Keeton, W. T. Animal Migration, Navigation and Homing (eds Schmidt-Koenig, K. & Keeton, W. T.) 152–162 (Springer, Berlin, 1978).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Papi, F. Verh. dt. zool. Ges. 1976, 184–205 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Batschelet, E. Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Problems in Animal Orientation and Certain Biological Rhythms (AIBS, Washington DC, 1965); Animal Orientation and Navigation (eds Galler, S.R. et al.) 61–63 (NASA SP-262, Washington DC, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wiltschko, W. & Wiltschko, R Oikos 30, 177–187 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wiltschko, W., Wiltschko, R. Disorientation of inexperienced young pigeons after transportation in total darkness. Nature 291, 433–434 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291433a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291433a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing