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The map sense of pigeons

Abstract

Homing pigeons are able to return to their lofts after displacement to unfamiliar sites hundreds of kilometres away. A map sense enables them to determine their location, and a hierarchy of compass senses orient their flight. Recent experiments implicate magnetic and olfactory cues as the basis of the mysterious map sense.

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Gould, J. The map sense of pigeons. Nature 296, 205–211 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/296205a0

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