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In one experiment, a researcher placed mirrors around his birds’ cages. The position of the mirrors gave a false orientation (east-west direction) of the sun. How do you think the birds reacted when released?
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The birds navigated using the false direction of the sun, not the real one.
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In another experiment, researchers placed a magnetic device around their birds’ cages. This device (called a Helmholtz coil) created a magnetic field oriented in the opposite direction of Earth’s actual magnetic field. How do you think the birds reacted when released?
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The birds navigated in the opposite direction, influenced by the flipped "magnetic compass."
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A more invasive project involved a researcher cutting his birds’ trigeminal nerves. (Birds are able to safely survive this procedure!) How do you think these birds navigated?
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The birds navigated in the right direction—their sense of orienting north was unaffected. However, they could not determine their exact position—they could not “go home to roost.”
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Look at this high-resolution map of “Bird Migration in the Americas.” What species of birds have flyways near you?
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Answers will vary!
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to evaluate or determine the amount of.
imaginary line around the Earth, another planet, or star running east-west, 0 degrees latitude.
migration route regularly used by birds, bats, or butterflies.
material, usually of plant or animal origin, that living organisms use to obtain nutrients.
system of satellites and receiving devices used to determine the location of something on Earth.
to acquire a habit or behavior through a learning process that occurs early in the life of a social animal, usually through an association with a parent or role model.
a prominent feature that guides in navigation or marks a site.
area around and affected by a magnet or charged particle.
to move from one place or activity to another.
to plan and direct the course of a journey.
part of the nervous system that registers sensation and touch.
impulse-conducting cell found in the nervous system. Also called a nerve cell and neurocyte.
having to do with smell or the sense of smell.
group of tissues that perform a specialized task.
to position or find the location of something.
study of activity in living organisms, including physical and chemical processes.
extreme north or south point of the Earth's axis.
moderate.
topographic features of an area.
study of the shape of the surface features of an area.
state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.
repeating or predictable changes in the Earth's atmosphere, such as winds, precipitation, and temperatures.
