Abstract
To determine how fast birds can adapt to magnetic intensities outside the normal functional window of their magnetic compass, we tested migratory birds in a magnetic field of 92,000 nT, twice the intensity of the local geomagnetic field at the test site in Frankfurt a.M., Germany. In the local field, robins showed a significant preference of their southerly migratory direction, whereas in the 92,000-nT field, they were initially disoriented. However, when the birds were preexposed to 92,000 nT for 1 h before being tested, they were able to orient under this intensity, and their behavior did not differ from that in the geomagnetic field. These data show that birds require only a short time to adjust to magnetic intensities, which they cannot spontaneously use for orientation. Interpreting these findings in view of the radical pair model (Ritz et al. 2000), this means that they can learn rather quickly to interpret novel activation patterns on their retina.
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Acknowledgements
Our work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant to W.W.) and the Human Frontier Science Program (grant to R.W.). We sincerely thank B. Siegmund and T. Pavkovic for their valuable help in catching the birds and conducting the experiments and two anonymous referees for many helpful suggestions. The experiments were performed in accordance with the rules and regulations on animal protection of Germany.
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Wiltschko, W., Stapput, K., Thalau, P. et al. Avian magnetic compass: fast adjustment to intensities outside the normal functional window. Naturwissenschaften 93, 300–304 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0102-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0102-5