Migration Along Orthodromic Sun Compass Routes by Arctic Birds

Flight directions of birds migrating at high geographic and magnetic latitudes can be used to test bird orientation by celestial or geomagnetic compass systems under polar conditions. Migration patterns of arctic shorebirds, revealed by tracking radar studies during an icebreaker expedition along th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Alerstam, Thomas, Gudmundsson, Gudmundur A., Green, Martin, Hedenström, Anders
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2001
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Ecology
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Canada
Northwest Passage
Arctic birds
Beaufort Sea
Northwest passage
Siberia
Online Access:https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131552
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.291.5502.300
https://portal.research.lu.se/files/4379492/624227.pdf
Description
Summary:Flight directions of birds migrating at high geographic and magnetic latitudes can be used to test bird orientation by celestial or geomagnetic compass systems under polar conditions. Migration patterns of arctic shorebirds, revealed by tracking radar studies during an icebreaker expedition along the Northwest Passage in 1999, support predicted sun compass trajectories but cannot be reconciled with orientation along either geographic or magnetic loxodromes (rhumb lines). Sun compass routes are similar to orthodromes (great circle routes) at high latitudes, showing changing geographic courses as the birds traverse longitudes and their internal clock gets out of phase with local time. These routes bring the shorebirds from high arctic Canada to the east coast of North America, from which they make transoceanic flights to South America. The observations are also consistent with a migration link between Siberia and the Beaufort Sea region by way of sun compass routes across the Arctic Ocean.

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