Celestial polarized light patterns as a calibration reference for sun compass of homing pigeons

Phillips, John B.; Waldvogel, Jerry A.

doi:10.1016/s0022-5193(88)80120-6

Cited by 52 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Apart from the possible role of sunset PL cues for determining the departure direction, there is convincing evidence from short-term deflector loft experiments with homing pigeons [43][44][45][46] and cuecalibration experiments with migratory songbirds [47][48][49][50][51][52][53] that PL cues at sunrise and sunset play a key role in compass calibration. In the homing experiments with pigeons, non-resident birds were housed in lofts with an unobstructed view of the Sun overhead, but with specifically designed deflector panels installed on the side windows of the loft that deflected wind and light cues in opposite directions relative to each other and thereby making it possible to distinguish effects of celestial and olfactory cues.…”

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Muheim

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Polarized light (PL) sensitivity is relatively well studied in a large number of invertebrates and some fish species, but in most other vertebrate classes, including birds, the behavioural and physiological mechanism of PL sensitivity remains one of the big mysteries in sensory biology. Many organisms use the skylight polarization pattern as part of a sun compass for orientation, navigation and in spatial orientation tasks. In birds, the available evidence for an involvement of the skylight polarization pattern in sun-compass orientation is very weak. Instead, cue-conflict and cue-calibration experiments have shown that the skylight polarization pattern near the horizon at sunrise and sunset provides birds with a seasonally and latitudinally independent compass calibration reference. Despite convincing evidence that birds use PL cues for orientation, direct experimental evidence for PL sensitivity is still lacking. Avian double cones have been proposed as putative PL receptors, but detailed anatomical and physiological evidence will be needed to conclusively describe the avian PL receptor. Intriguing parallels between the functional and physiological properties of PL reception and light-dependent magnetoreception could point to a common receptor system.

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Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Muheim

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Some vertebrates have been shown to respond to polarized light patterns (reviewed by Horváth and Varjú, 2004), such as several species of fish (Hawryshyn, 2000;Flamarique and Harosi, 2002), amphibians (Auburn and Taylor, 1979;Taylor and Adler, 1973) and birds (Kreithen and Keeton, 1974;Phillips and Waldvogel, 1988), although the question of polarization sensitivity or vision in birds is still a matter of controversy (Coemans and Vos, 1992;Hzn et al, 1995).…”

Section: Evidence For Polarization Vision In Cephalopodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do cephalopods communicate using polarized light reflections from their skin?

Mäthger

Shashar

Hanlon

2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SummaryCephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus) are probably best known for their ability to change color and pattern for camouflage and communication. This is made possible by their complex skin, which contains pigmented chromatophore organs and structural light reflectors (iridophores and leucophores). Iridophores create colorful and linearly polarized reflective patterns. Equally interesting, the photoreceptors of cephalopod eyes are arranged in a way to give these animals the ability to detect the linear polarization of incoming light. The capacity to detect polarized light may have a variety of functions, such as prey detection, navigation, orientation and contrast enhancement. Because the skin of cephalopods can produce polarized reflective patterns, it has been postulated that cephalopods could communicate intraspecifically through this visual system. The term 'hidden' or 'private' communication channel has been given to this concept because many cephalopod predators may not be able to see their polarized reflective patterns. We review the evidence for polarization vision as well as polarization signaling in some cephalopod species and provide examples that tend to support the notion -currently unproven -that some cephalopods communicate using polarized light signals.

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“…tested in a Morris water maze for e-vector orientation were oriented under short-wavelength light including wavelengths between 400 and 550 nm, but not at longer wavelengths (Beltrami et al, 2012). Birds are sensitive to UV light (Wright, 1972), and it has been suggested that they perceive polarized light in the near-UV region of the spectrum (Phillips and Waldvogel, 1988). However, the most favoured hypothesis for polarization vision in birds proposes a pathway initiated by medium-to long-wavelengthsensitive double cones (Young and Martin, 1984;Cameron and Pugh, 1991), which were readily stimulated in our experiments (supplementary material Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies testing the involvement of skylight polarization information in migratory orientation and homing typically include manipulated polarization patterns as directional cues, thus exploiting an innate or an already learned behavioural response to naturally existing stimuli (Able, 1982;Phillips and Waldvogel, 1988;Phillips and Moore, 1992;Able and Able, 1993;Munro and Wiltschko, 1995;Muheim et al, 2006aMuheim et al, , 2009; reviewed by Muheim et al, 2006b;Muheim, 2011). Other attempts to demonstrate polarization vision in birds, including the present study, used conditioning experiments.…”

Section: Possible Explanations For the Inability Of The Birds To Discmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Birds have been shown to use directional information from the skylight polarization patterns for compass orientation and as a calibration reference for their magnetic compass (Able, 1982;Phillips and Waldvogel, 1988;Phillips and Moore, 1992;Able and Able, 1993;Munro and Wiltschko, 1995;Muheim et al, 2006aMuheim et al, , 2009; reviewed by Muheim et al, 2006b;Muheim, 2011;Åkesson, 2014). Two early investigations found positive responses to polarized light stimuli in pigeons (Columba livia) trained to discriminate between light from rotating and fixed polarization filters (Kreithen and Keeton, 1974) or the orientation axis of linearly polarized light (Delius et al, 1976).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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No response to linear polarization cues in operant conditioning experiments with zebra finches

Melgar

Lind

Muheim

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Many animals can use the polarization of light in various behavioural contexts. Birds are well known to use information from the skylight polarization pattern for orientation and compass calibration. However, there are few controlled studies of polarization vision in birds, and the majority of them have not been successful in convincingly demonstrating polarization vision. We used a two-alternative forced choice conditioning approach to assess linear polarization vision in male zebra finches in the 'visible' spectral range (wavelengths >400 nm). The birds were trained to discriminate colour, brightness and polarization stimuli presented on either one of two LCD-screens. All birds were able to discriminate the colour and brightness stimuli, but they were unable to discriminate the polarization stimuli. Our results suggest that in the behavioural context studied here, zebra finches are not able to discriminate polarized light stimuli.

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Celestial polarized light patterns as a calibration reference for sun compass of homing pigeons

Cited by 52 publications

References 14 publications

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Do cephalopods communicate using polarized light reflections from their skin?

No response to linear polarization cues in operant conditioning experiments with zebra finches

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