Magnetic field disturbances lead migratory birds astray
Disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field can lead migratory birds astray even in perfect weather. This is shown by a study from UCLA.
Earth's magnetic field and bird navigation
Scientists have long known that migratory birds can lose their bearings during their annual autumn migration in bad weather and may land in areas they are not accustomed to.
A research team led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has now found that disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field can lead birds astray even in perfect weather, and particularly during the autumn migration.
Given the steady decline of North American bird populations, discovering the causes of vagrancy could help scientists clarify what threats birds are currently facing and how they are adapting to these threats.
Magnetoreceptors in the eyes
By comparing data from 2.2 million birds across 152 species caught and released between 1960 and 2019 with historical records of geomagnetic disturbances and solar activity, researchers found that birds can perceive magnetic fields using magnetoreceptors in their eyes.
«There is growing evidence that birds can actually see geomagnetic fields,» said the lead author of the study, Morgan Tingley, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA.
«When the geomagnetic field is disturbed, it is like a distorted map that throws birds off course,» Tingley explained. The analysis found that the closest association between vagrancy and geomagnetic disturbances occurred during the autumn migration.
The study was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. More on the topic of wildlife.
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