How Do Birds Navigate?
Posted on May 2, 2008 at 1:34 pm.
Filed Under Nature, Science |
Animal species, ranging from birds and mammals to reptiles and insects, navigate by using the Earth’s magnetic field. But Earth’s magnetic field is very weak. So how exactly birds do it. New research finds that a photochemical compass helps migrating birds to use the magnetic field along with light. The photoreceptors in a bird’s retina absorb light, which then produces a short-lived photochemical substance that is sensitive to the magnitude and direction of a weak magnetic field. It’s been supported by the fact that blue light photoreceptors have been detected in retinas of migratory birds when they perform magnetic orientation.
Photo Source: http://multimedia.bostonherald.com
birds, navigation
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