Magnetic compass orientation of European robins under 565 nm green light

Wiltschko, Wolfgang; Gesson, Marcus; Wiltschko, Roswitha

doi:10.1007/s001140100248

Cited by 49 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The activation in Cluster N under red light seemed to be slightly lower than under white light, but this difference was not significant. Initially, red light was shown to temporarily disrupt or lead to inappropriately aligned magnetic orientation under certain conditions (Wiltschko et al, 1993(Wiltschko et al, , 2001Wiltschko & Wiltschko, 1999, 2001bMuheim et al, 2002). However, recently Wiltschko et al (2004a) subsequently showed that when European robins are pre-exposed to the red light for ~1 h, the birds seem to regain their orientation capabilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lateralized activation of Cluster N in the brains of migratory songbirds

Liedvogel

Feenders

Wada

et al. 2007

Eur J of Neuroscience

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Cluster N is a cluster of forebrain regions found in night-migratory songbirds that shows high activation of activity-dependent gene expression during night-time vision. We have suggested that Cluster N may function as a specialized night-vision area in night-migratory birds and that it may be involved in processing light-mediated magnetic compass information. Here, we investigated these ideas. We found a significant lateralized dominance of Cluster N activation in the right hemisphere of European robins (Erithacus rubecula). Activation predominantly originated from the contralateral (left) eye. Garden warblers (Sylvia borin) tested under different magnetic field conditions and under monochromatic red light did not show significant differences in Cluster N activation. In the fairly sedentary Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), which belongs to the same phyolgenetic clade, Cluster N showed prominent activation levels, similar to that observed in garden warblers and European robins. Thus, it seems that Cluster N activation occurs at night in all species within predominantly migratory groups of birds, probably because such birds have the capability of switching between migratory and sedentary life styles. The activation studies suggest that although Cluster N is lateralized, as is the dependence on magnetic compass orientation, either Cluster N is not involved in magnetic processing or the magnetic modulations of the primary visual signal, forming the basis for the currently supported light-dependent magnetic compass mechanism, are relatively small such that activity-dependent gene expression changes are not sensitive enough to pick them up.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lateralized activation of Cluster N in the brains of migratory songbirds

Liedvogel

Feenders

Wada

et al. 2007

Eur J of Neuroscience

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“…The test cages were lit with 565 nm green light at an intensity of 1.9 mW m 22 -birds have always shown excellent orientation using their inclination compass in this condition [18,21]. The activity was recorded for 60 min.…”

Section: (C) Test Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian magnetic compass can be tuned to anomalously low magnetic intensities

Winklhofer

Dylda²,

Thalau³

et al. 2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The avian magnetic compass works in a fairly narrow functional window around the intensity of the local geomagnetic field, but adjusts to intensities outside this range when birds experience these new intensities for a certain time. In the past, the geomagnetic field has often been much weaker than at present. To find out whether birds can obtain directional information from a weak magnetic field, we studied spontaneous orientation preferences of migratory robins in a 4 mT field (i.e. a field of less than 10 per cent of the local intensity of 47 mT). Birds can adjust to this low intensity: they turned out to be disoriented under 4 mT after a pre-exposure time of 8 h to 4 mT, but were able to orient in this field after a total exposure time of 17 h. This demonstrates a considerable plasticity of the avian magnetic compass. Orientation in the 4 mT field was not affected by local anaesthesia of the upper beak, but was disrupted by a radiofrequency magnetic field of 1.315 MHz, 480 nT, suggesting that a radical-pair mechanism still provides the directional information in the low magnetic field. This is in agreement with the idea that the avian magnetic compass may have developed already in the Mesozoic in the common ancestor of modern birds.

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“…Although the results of many behavioural experiments suggested that the bird's compass actually worked on radical-pair reactions (for example, its sensitivity to the spectrum of the ambient light [20]), the crucial evidence was lacking. The situation has apparently changed with the demonstration of the effect of weak oscillating magnetic fields (OMFs) on the orientation ability of European robins (Erithacus rubecula) by the group of R. and W. Wiltschko in Frankfurt [21][22][23][24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic orientation of garden warblers ( Sylvia borin ) under 1.4 MHz radiofrequency magnetic field

Kavokin

Chernetsov

Pakhomov

et al. 2014

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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We report on the experiments on orientation of a migratory songbird, the garden warbler (Sylvia borin), during the autumn migration period on the Courish Spit, Eastern Baltics. Birds in experimental cages, deprived of visual information, showed the seasonally appropriate direction of intended flight with respect to the magnetic meridian. Weak radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field (190 nT at 1.4 MHz) disrupted this orientation ability. These results may be considered as an independent replication of earlier experiments, performed by the group of R. and W. Wiltschko with European robins (Erithacus rubecula). Confirmed outstanding sensitivity of the birds' magnetic compass to RF fields in the lower megahertz range demands for a revision of one of the mainstream theories of magnetoreception, the radicalpair model of birds' magnetic compass.

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Magnetic compass orientation of European robins under 565 nm green light

Cited by 49 publications

References 13 publications

Lateralized activation of Cluster N in the brains of migratory songbirds

Lateralized activation of Cluster N in the brains of migratory songbirds

Avian magnetic compass can be tuned to anomalously low magnetic intensities

Magnetic orientation of garden warblers ( Sylvia borin ) under 1.4 MHz radiofrequency magnetic field

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