An experiment for testing the hypothesis of olfactory navigation of homing pigeons

Papi, Floriano; Fiore, L.; Fiaschi, V.; Benvenuti, Simone Messerotti

doi:10.1007/bf00694576

Cited by 44 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…However, Papi et al (1973) did raise young pigeons kept alternately for three days in a screened aviary and three days exposed to the environmental odours for three months, and observed no impairment in homing behaviour. Although these young pigeons were held in a screened aviary for up to 45 days cumulatively, they nonetheless learned a navigational map (Papi et al 1973). In many cases, research examining the neural correlates of sensitive period-like learning phenomena have highlighted neural plasticity occurring in particular brain regions during a restricted developmental period (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period

GagHardo

Ioalè

Odetti

et al. 2001

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Homing pigeons can learn a navigational map by relying on the heterogeneous distribution of atmospheric odours in the environment. To test whether there might be a sensitive period for learning an olfactory-based navigational map, we maintained a group of young pigeons in an aviary screened from the winds until the age of three to four months post-£edging. Subsequently, the screens were removed and the pigeons were exposed to the winds and the environmental odours they carry for three months. One control group of pigeons was held in a similar aviary but exposed to the winds immediately upon £edging, while another control group of pigeons was allowed free-£ight. When the pigeons from the three groups were released from two distant release sites at about six months of age post-£edging, the two control groups were found to be equally good at orientating and returning home, while the experimental pigeons held in the shielded aviary for the ¢rst three months post-£edging were unable to orientate homeward and they were generally unsuccessful in returning home. This result supports the hypothesis that environmental experience during the ¢rst three months post-£edging is critical for some aspect of navigational map learning and that navigational map learning displays sensitive period-like properties.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period

GagHardo

Ioalè

Odetti

et al. 2001

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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“…The pulse has no effect on juvenile migratory birds (Munro et al, 1997b) and does not appear to prevent compass orientation (Wiltschko et al, 2006). Another environmental cue which has been proposed to play a role in navigation are environmental odours and it has received extensive experimental testing in the homing pigeon (Benvenuti et al, 1973;Papi et al, 1973;Papi, 2001;Wallraff, 2005). The data indicate that olfactory cues are required for successful homing in pigeons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the role of sensory systems in the migratory heading of a songbird

Holland

Thorup

Gagliardo

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

104

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SUMMARYThe identification of the sensory cues and mechanisms by which migratory birds are able to reach the same breeding and wintering grounds year after year has eluded biologists despite more than 50 years of intensive study. While a number of environmental cues have been proposed to play a role in the navigation of birds, arguments still persist about which cues are essential for the experience based navigation shown by adult migrants. To date, few studies have tested the sensory basis of navigational cues used during actual migration in the wild: mainly laboratory based studies or homing during the non-migratory season have been used to investigate this behaviour. Here we tested the role of olfactory and magnetic cues in the migration of the catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) by radio tracking the migration of birds with sensory manipulations during their actual migratory flights. Our data suggest that adult birds treated with zinc sulphate to produce anosmia were unable to show the same orientation as control adults, and instead reverted to a direction similar to that shown by juveniles making their first migration. The magnetic manipulation had no effect on the orientation of either adults or juveniles. These results allow us to propose that the olfactory sense may play a role in experience based migration in adult catbirds. While the olfactory sense has been shown to play a role in the homing of pigeons and other birds, this is the first time it has been implicated in migratory orientation. Supplementary material available online at

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“…1997, 2006; see also Wallraff 2005 for other references). Map learning is also impaired in intact pigeons, when they are prevented to learn the association between the odours carried by the winds and the directions of the winds blowing to the home area, for example, by raising the birds in shielded aviaries (Wallraff 1966, 1970; Papi et al. 1973; Gagliardo et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pigeon Homing: The Navigational Map Developed in Adulthood is Based on Olfactory Information

2008

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Homing pigeons raised in a shielded aviary and kept confined until the day of the test releases are not able to navigate even if, once adult, the screens are removed and the birds are exposed to natural winds for a sufficiently long period for map learning. However, pigeons raised in the same condition but, once adult, allowed to perform spontaneous flights around the loft are able to develop navigational abilities which, however, never reach the level of controls. In the present study, we show that the navigational map learned by the adult birds, which had the possibility to perform spontaneous flights, is based on olfactory information.

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An experiment for testing the hypothesis of olfactory navigation of homing pigeons

Cited by 44 publications

References 3 publications

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period

The ontogeny of the homing pigeon navigational map: evidence for a sensitive learning period

Testing the role of sensory systems in the migratory heading of a songbird

Pigeon Homing: The Navigational Map Developed in Adulthood is Based on Olfactory Information

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