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Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing pp 228–238Cite as

Field Studies of the Orientation Cue Hierarchy of Nocturnal Songbird Migrants

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Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

Tracking radar, surveillance radar, and visual observation of free-flying nocturnal migrants in the United States are revealing relationships among several compass cues. Whereas passerine migrants in the southeastern United States selectively flew downwind even under clear skies, downwind flight in seasonally inappropriate directions in the northeastern United States occurred only under solid overcast that prevented the birds from seeing both stars and the sun near the time of sunset. The hypothesis that a view of either stars or the sun near sunset is sufficient to allow the birds to perform “correct” orientation was supported by data from experimentally released birds.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Kenneth P. Able

Authors
  1. Kenneth P. Able
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. für Verhaltensphysiologie der Universität Beim Kupferhammer 8, 7400, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Klaus Schmidt-Koenig

  2. Dept. of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, N.C., 27706, USA

    Klaus Schmidt-Koenig

  3. Sect, of Neurobiology and Behavior Langmuir Lab., Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 14853, USA

    William T. Keeton

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© 1978 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Able, K.P. (1978). Field Studies of the Orientation Cue Hierarchy of Nocturnal Songbird Migrants. In: Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds) Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-11148-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-11147-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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