Navigation by homing pigeons: updated perspective

Wallraff, Hans Georg

doi:10.1080/08927014.2001.9522786

Cited by 94 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 142 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This view, however, is not justified, especially as new lines of research suggest strong olfactory roles in passerines and other avian orders (for review, Roper 1999). Petrels use olfaction to locate food (Nevitt 2000) and burrows at night (Bonadonna et al 2001), and homing pigeons and starlings use odor cues in navigation and homing (Wallraff et al 1995;Wallraff 2001). Furthermore, olfactory receptor genes have been characterized for chickens (Leibovici et al 1996).…”

Section: Vocal and Visual Cues In Kinmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Mhc Component to Kin Recognition and Mate Choice in Birds: Predictions, Progress, and Prospects

Zelano

Edwards

2002

The American Naturalist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) has been identified as a locus influencing disease resistance, mate choice, and kin recognition in mammals and fish. However, it is unclear whether the mechanisms by which Mhc genes influence behavior in mammals are applicable to other nonmammalian vertebrates such as birds. We review the biology of Mhc genes with particular reference to their relevance to avian mating and social systems. New genomics approaches recently have been applied to the Mhcs of chickens, quail, and several icons of avian behavioral ecology, including red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). The predominance of concerted evolution at avian Mhc loci makes such methods attractive for providing access to this complicated multigene family. Although some biological processes influenced by Mhc in mammals are physiologically implausible for birds, Mhc could influence cues that form well-known bases for mate choice in birds by influencing the health and vigor of individuals. The tight associations of Mhc variation and disease resistance in chickens raise hope that finding associations of Mhc genes, disease, and mate choice in natural populations of birds will be as fruitful as in mammalian systems.

show abstract

Section: Vocal and Visual Cues In Kinmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Mhc Component to Kin Recognition and Mate Choice in Birds: Predictions, Progress, and Prospects

Zelano

Edwards

2002

The American Naturalist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although much is now known about the mechanisms of long-distance navigation in birds (Papi 1992;Wallraff 2001;Wiltschko & Wiltschko 2003) it is far less clear how birds orient within, and build a map of, their local familiar environment. The role of visual landmarks remains a particularly debated issue, despite their obvious candidacy in such highly visual animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homing pigeons develop local route stereotypy

2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The mechanisms used by homing pigeons (Columba livia) to navigate homeward from distant sites have been well studied, yet the mechanisms underlying navigation within, and mapping of, the local familiar area have been largely neglected. In the local area pigeons pote ntially have access to a powerful navigational aid-a memorized landscape map. Current opinion suggests that landmarks are used only to recognize a familiar start position and that the goalward route is then achieved solely using compass orientation. We used highresolution global positioning system (GPS) loggers to track homing pigeons as they became progressively familiar with a local homing task. Here, we demonstrate that birds develop highly stereotyped yet individually distinctive routes over the landscape, which remain substantially inefficient. Precise aerial route recapitulation implies close control by localized geocentric cues. Magnetic cues are unlikely to have been used, since recapitulation remains despite magnetic disruption treatment, and olfactory cues would have been positionally unstable under the variable wind conditions, making visual landmarks the most likely cues used.

show abstract

“…Moreover, it has been shown that navigation performance of olfactory deprived pigeons is unimpaired at familiar sites [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of monocular viewing on orientation in an arena at the release site and homing performance in pigeons

Diekamp

Prior

Ioalè

et al. 2002

Behavioural Brain Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Orientation and homing performance of pigeons with the left or right eye occluded were assessed in an arena at the release site and during the subsequent homing flight. Three release sites near Pisa, Italy, were used. Compared to binocular controls, monocular birds showed a bias in orientation towards the side of the viewing eye. In the arena, this bias was considerable and the mean deviation corresponded to the angle of the optical axis, suggesting a systematic error in visual representation during directional orientation. During flight after leaving the arena the directional bias decreased and the homeward orientation increased. While there was a slight lateralization of overall homing performance in favour of the right eye, there was no lateralization in directional orientation in the arena or at vanishing. Our results show that navigational mechanisms in either brain hemisphere profit from information obtained before take off and while flying over the release site. The existence and degree of lateralization is discussed in comparison to other studies that investigated homing under monocular viewing conditions. #

show abstract

Navigation by homing pigeons: updated perspective

Cited by 94 publications

References 142 publications

An Mhc Component to Kin Recognition and Mate Choice in Birds: Predictions, Progress, and Prospects

An Mhc Component to Kin Recognition and Mate Choice in Birds: Predictions, Progress, and Prospects

Homing pigeons develop local route stereotypy

Effects of monocular viewing on orientation in an arena at the release site and homing performance in pigeons

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About