Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Goal-oriented and compass-oriented movements of displaced homing pigeons after confinement in differentially shielded aviaries

  • Published:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Young pigeons were kept in an aviary from the time of weaning until the time of displacement 3–5 months later. The two compartments of the aviary were differentially shielded by surrounding walls, and birds of both compartments were released simultaneously. During six years, seven types of shieldings were used (Fig. 1). Releases were conducted at four sites in the cardinal directions (distances about 100 and 30 km, respectively). Initial bearings and distributions of recoveries led to the following conclusions (Figs. 3 and 4):

  1. 1.

    Visual shielding of the environment up to about 10° above the horizontal plane does not influence long-distance orientation, provided that the shielding does not also impair the airflow through the aviary.

  2. 2.

    Homeward orientation is drastically reduced if the aviary is surrounded by walls made of glass.

  3. 3.

    Homeward orientation from all four directions persists if the pigeons lived in corridors between two solid walls permitting airflow either along the N-S axis or along the E-W axis.

  4. 4.

    The preferred compass direction (PCD) of pigeons which lived in this aviary in unscreened conditions is SSW. In the initial bearings, this PCD is more pronounced than the tendency toward home.

  5. 5.

    The PCD is reversed to NNE in pigeons which lived in a corridor open at east and west (but is unaffected by a N-S corridor).

  6. 6.

    The results obtained with the corridor aviaries do not support the olfactory navigation hypothesis as it stands so far (cf. Papi, 1976).

Some aspects of circular statistics are discussed in the Appendix.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baldaccini, N.E., Benvenuti, S., Fiaschi, V., Papi, F.: Pigeon navigation: Effects of wind deflection at home cage on homing behaviour. J. Comp. Physiol. 99, 177–186 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldaccini, N.E., Benvenuti, S., Fiaschi, V., Ioalé, P., Papi, F.: Investigation of pigeon homing by means of ‘deflector cages’. In: Animal migration, navigation, and homing. Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds.), pp. 78–91. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. Springer 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Batschelet, E.: Statistical methods for the analysis of problems in animal orientation and certain biological rhythms. Washington, D.C.: Am. Inst. Biol. Sci. 1965

    Google Scholar 

  • Batschelet, E.: Recent statistical methods for orientation data. In: Animal orientation and navigation. Galler, S.R., et al. (eds.), pp. 61–91. Washington, D.C.: NASA (SP-262) 1972

    Google Scholar 

  • Batschelet, E.: Second-order statistical analysis of directions. In: Animal migration, navigation, and homing. Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds.), pp. 3–24. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartwick, R., Kiepenheuer, J., Schmidt-Koenig, K.: Further experiments on the olfactory hypothesis of pigeon navigation. In: Animal migration, navigation, and homing. Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds.), pp. 107–118. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeton, W.T.: The orientational and navigational basis of homing in birds. Adv. Study Behav 5, 47–132 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeton, W.T., Kreithen, M.L., Hermayer, K.L.: Orientation by pigeons deprived of olfaction by nasal tubes. J. Comp. Physiol. 114, 289–299 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, G.: Über die Heimfindeleistung unter Sichtbegrenzung aufgewachsener Brieftauben. Verh. Dtsch. Zool. Ges. 1958, 168–176 (1959a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, G.: Recent experiments on bird orientation. Ibis 101, 399–416 (1959b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, G., St. Paul, U.v.: Das Heimkehrvermögen gekäfigter Brieftauben. Ornithol. Beob 51, 4–12 (1954)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mardia, K.V.: Statistics of directional data. London-New York: Academic Press 1972

    Google Scholar 

  • Papi, F.: The olfactory navigation of the homing pigeson. Verh. Dtsch. Zool. Ges. 69, 184–205 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Papi, F., Fiore, L., Fiaschi, V., Benvenuti, S.: Olfaction and homing in pigeons. Monit. Zool. Ital. (N.S.) 6, 85–95 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Papi, F., Keeton, W.T., Brown, A.I., Benvenuti, S.: Do American and Italian pigeons rely on different homing mechanisms? J. Comp. Physiol. 128, 303–317 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Koening, K.: Experimentelle Einflußnahme auf die 24-Stunden-periodik bei Brieftauben und deren Auswirkungen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Heimfindevermögens. Z. Tierpsychol. 15, 301–331 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Über die Heimfindeleistungen von Brieftauben nach Haltung in verschiedenartig abgeschirmten Volieren. Z. vergl. Physiol. 52, 215–259 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: The present status of our knowledge about pigeon homing. In: Proc. XIV Int. Ornithol. Congr. Snow, D.W. (ed.), pp. 331–358. Oxford-Edinburgh: Blackwell 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Über die Flugrichtungen verfrachteter Brieftauben in Abhängigkeit vom Heimatort und vom Ort der Freilassung. Z. Tierpsychol. 27, 303–351 (1970a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Weitere Volierenversuche mit Brieftauben: Wahrscheinlicher Einfluß dynamischer Faktoren der Atmosphäre auf die Orientierung. Z. vergl. Physiol. 68, 182–201 (1970b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Homing of pigeons after extirpation of their cochleae and lagenae. Nature [New Biol.] 236, 223–224 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Das Navigationssystem der Vögel. München-Wien: Oldenbourg 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Preferred compass directions in initial orientation of homing pigeons. In: Animal migration, navigation, and homing. Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds.), pp. 171–183. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1978a

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Social interrelations involved in migratory orientation of birds: Possible contribution of field studies. Oikos 30, 401–404 (1978b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallraff, H.G.: Homing strategy of pigeons and implications for the analysis of their initial orientation. Proc. XVII Int. Ornithol. Congr. (in press) (1979)

  • Wallraff, H.G., Graue, L.C.: Orientation of pigeons after transatlantic displacement. Behaviour 44, 1–35 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Windsor, D.M.: Regional expression of directional preferences by experienced homing pigeons. Anim. Behav. 23, 335–343 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yodlowski, M.L., Kreithen, M.L., Keeton, W.T.: Detection of atmospheric infrasound by homing pigeons. Nature 265, 725–726 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-8131, Seewiesen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Hans G. Wallraff

Authors
  1. Hans G. Wallraff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wallraff, H.G. Goal-oriented and compass-oriented movements of displaced homing pigeons after confinement in differentially shielded aviaries. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 5, 201–225 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293306

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293306

Keywords

Search

Navigation