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Science 16 April 2004:
Vol. 304. no. 5669, pp. 405 - 408
DOI: 10.1126/science.1095844
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Research Articles

Migrating Songbirds Recalibrate Their Magnetic Compass Daily from Twilight Cues

William W. Cochran,1* Henrik Mouritsen,2 Martin Wikelski3

Night migratory songbirds can use stars, sun, geomagnetic field, and polarized light for orientation when tested in captivity. We studied the interaction of magnetic, stellar, and twilight orientation cues in free-flying songbirds. We exposed Catharus thrushes to eastward-turned magnetic fields during the twilight period before takeoff and then followed them for up to 1100 kilometers. Instead of heading north, experimental birds flew westward. On subsequent nights, the same individuals migrated northward again. We suggest that birds orient with a magnetic compass calibrated daily from twilight cues. This could explain how birds cross the magnetic equator and deal with declination.

1 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 East Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
2 Volkswagen Nachwuchsgruppe Animal Navigation, Institute of Biology, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Guyot Hall 303, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.


* Present address: 1204 West Union Street, Champaign, IL 61821, USA.

E-mail: Sparrow{at}springnet1.com (W.W.C.); Henrik.mouritsen{at}uni-oldenburg.de (H.M.); Wikelski{at}princeton.edu (M.W.)

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)