Directional preferences of displaced homing pigeons in an orientation cage

Kowalski, Ute

doi:10.1007/bf01640273

Cited by 13 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…This is in agreement with the assumption that the initial phase itself plays little role with regard to making a navigational decision, but rather serves for preparing for the flight, like gaining height and speed, and possibly also for exploring the surroundings, as also suggested in earlier studies (Schiffner and Wiltschko, 2009;Schiffner et al, 2013). However, a first navigational process must already have taken place before the birds begin to fly, because, when released from a cage, pigeons show a tendency to leave in the direction in which they later vanish (Chelazzi and Pardi, 1972;Kowalski, 1994;Mazzotto et al, 1999). This means that the birds have roughly determined their home…”

Section: The Initial Phase Of the Homing Flightmentioning

confidence: 81%

Following the Sun: a mathematical analysis of the tracks of clock-shifted homing pigeons

Schiffner

Siegmund

Wiltschko

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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We analysed the tracks of clock-shifted pigeons from six releases to determine how they cope with the conflict between their sun compass and other navigational cues. Time-lag embedding was used to calculate the short-term correlation dimension, a parameter that reflects the complexity of the navigational system, and with it, the number of factors involved. Initially, while pigeons were still at the release site, the short-term correlation dimension was low; it increased as the birds left the site, indicating that the birds were now actively navigating. Clock-shifted pigeons showed more scatter than the control birds, and their short-term correlation dimension became significantly smaller than that of the controls, remaining lower until the experimental birds reached their loft. This difference was small, but consistent, and suggests a different rating and ranking of the navigational cues. Clock-shifted pigeons do not seem to simply ignore the information from their manipulated sun compass altogether, but appear to merely downgrade it in favour of other cues, like their magnetic compass. This is supported by the observation that the final part of the tracks still showed a small deviation in the expected direction, indicating an effect of clock-shifting until the end of the homing flight.

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Section: The Initial Phase Of the Homing Flightmentioning

confidence: 81%

Following the Sun: a mathematical analysis of the tracks of clock-shifted homing pigeons

Schiffner

Siegmund

Wiltschko

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Their departure bearings are seldom identical with the home bearing, though, but usually not very far from it, with the deviations typical for a given site; Keeton () called them ‘release site bias’. Studies releasing pigeons from cages revealed that they do not need fly to determine their home direction: they leave the cage mostly in the direction in which they will later vanish (Chelazzi and Pardi , Kowalski , Mazzotto et al ). The seemingly erratic flying often observed immediately after release takes place mostly in the direction where pigeons will later depart.…”

Section: Studies On Homing Pigeonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homing pigeons as a model for avian navigation?

Wiltschko

2017

Journal of Avian Biology

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The findings on the navigational mechanisms of homing pigeons and the available data on those of wild birds, in particular migrants, are compared. There are important parallels in the use of the magnetic field and the sun for directional orientation. Also the findings on the navigational ‘map’, its preferred use by experienced birds and the strategy of using route information to acquire the necessary knowledge to establish the ‘map’, obtained in pigeons studies, can probably be generalized to wild birds and migrants in their home region. It seems that birds share a common navigational system. Special development of migratory birds, however, is the innate migration program that enables young first‐time migrants to reach their still unknown wintering area.

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The orientation system of birds — II. Homing and navigation

Wiltschko

1999

J Ornithol

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Directional preferences of displaced homing pigeons in an orientation cage

Cited by 13 publications

References 25 publications

Following the Sun: a mathematical analysis of the tracks of clock-shifted homing pigeons

Following the Sun: a mathematical analysis of the tracks of clock-shifted homing pigeons

Homing pigeons as a model for avian navigation?

The orientation system of birds — II. Homing and navigation

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