Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes
The use of celestial or geomagnetic orientation cues can lead migratory birds along different migration routes during the migratory journeys, e.g. great circle routes (approximate), geographic or magnetic loxodromes. Orientation cage experiments have indicated that migrating birds are capable of det...
Published in: | Oikos |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2003
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131828 https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x https://portal.research.lu.se/files/2576037/624262.pdf |
id |
ftulundlup:oai:lup.lub.lu.se:fabf0e46-d678-4fb6-8da8-b96a28b08e68 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftulundlup:oai:lup.lub.lu.se:fabf0e46-d678-4fb6-8da8-b96a28b08e68 2023-05-15T14:29:34+02:00 Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes Muheim, Rachel Åkesson, Susanne Alerstam, Thomas 2003 application/pdf https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131828 https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x https://portal.research.lu.se/files/2576037/624262.pdf eng eng Wiley-Blackwell https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131828 http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x https://portal.research.lu.se/files/2576037/624262.pdf wos:000186985700009 scopus:0345479168 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Oikos; 103(2), pp 341-349 (2003) ISSN: 1600-0706 Zoology Biological Sciences contributiontojournal/article info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2003 ftulundlup https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x 2023-02-01T23:28:30Z The use of celestial or geomagnetic orientation cues can lead migratory birds along different migration routes during the migratory journeys, e.g. great circle routes (approximate), geographic or magnetic loxodromes. Orientation cage experiments have indicated that migrating birds are capable of detecting magnetic compass information at high northern latitudes even at very steep angles of inclination. However, starting a migratory journey at high latitudes and following a constant magnetic course often leads towards the North Magnetic Pole, which means that the usefulness of magnetic compass orientation at high latitudes may be questioned. Here, we compare possible long-distance migration routes of three species of passerine migrants breeding at high northern latitudes. The initial directions were based on orientation cage experiments performed under clear skies and simulated overcast and from release experiments under natural overcast skies. For each species we simulated possible migration routes (geographic loxodrome, magnetic loxodrome and sun compass route) by extrapolating from the initial directions and assessing a fixed orientation according to different compass mechanisms in order to investigate what orientation cues the birds most likely use when migrating southward in autumn. Our calculations show that none of the compass mechanisms (assuming fixed orientation) can explain the migration routes followed by night-migrating birds from their high Nearctic breeding areas to the wintering sites further south. This demonstrates that orientation along the migratory routes of arctic birds (and possibly other birds as well) must be a complex process, involving different orientation mechanisms as well as changing compass courses. We propose that birds use a combination of several compass mechanisms during a migratory journey with each of them being of a greater or smaller importance in different parts of the journey, depending on environmental conditions. We discuss reasons why birds developed the capability to ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic birds Arctic North Magnetic Pole Lund University Publications (LUP) Arctic Oikos 103 2 341 349 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Lund University Publications (LUP) |
op_collection_id |
ftulundlup |
language |
English |
topic |
Zoology Biological Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Zoology Biological Sciences Muheim, Rachel Åkesson, Susanne Alerstam, Thomas Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
topic_facet |
Zoology Biological Sciences |
description |
The use of celestial or geomagnetic orientation cues can lead migratory birds along different migration routes during the migratory journeys, e.g. great circle routes (approximate), geographic or magnetic loxodromes. Orientation cage experiments have indicated that migrating birds are capable of detecting magnetic compass information at high northern latitudes even at very steep angles of inclination. However, starting a migratory journey at high latitudes and following a constant magnetic course often leads towards the North Magnetic Pole, which means that the usefulness of magnetic compass orientation at high latitudes may be questioned. Here, we compare possible long-distance migration routes of three species of passerine migrants breeding at high northern latitudes. The initial directions were based on orientation cage experiments performed under clear skies and simulated overcast and from release experiments under natural overcast skies. For each species we simulated possible migration routes (geographic loxodrome, magnetic loxodrome and sun compass route) by extrapolating from the initial directions and assessing a fixed orientation according to different compass mechanisms in order to investigate what orientation cues the birds most likely use when migrating southward in autumn. Our calculations show that none of the compass mechanisms (assuming fixed orientation) can explain the migration routes followed by night-migrating birds from their high Nearctic breeding areas to the wintering sites further south. This demonstrates that orientation along the migratory routes of arctic birds (and possibly other birds as well) must be a complex process, involving different orientation mechanisms as well as changing compass courses. We propose that birds use a combination of several compass mechanisms during a migratory journey with each of them being of a greater or smaller importance in different parts of the journey, depending on environmental conditions. We discuss reasons why birds developed the capability to ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Muheim, Rachel Åkesson, Susanne Alerstam, Thomas |
author_facet |
Muheim, Rachel Åkesson, Susanne Alerstam, Thomas |
author_sort |
Muheim, Rachel |
title |
Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
title_short |
Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
title_full |
Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
title_fullStr |
Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
title_sort |
compass orientation and possible migration routes of passerine birds at high arctic latitudes |
publisher |
Wiley-Blackwell |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131828 https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x https://portal.research.lu.se/files/2576037/624262.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic birds Arctic North Magnetic Pole |
genre_facet |
Arctic birds Arctic North Magnetic Pole |
op_source |
Oikos; 103(2), pp 341-349 (2003) ISSN: 1600-0706 |
op_relation |
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131828 http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x https://portal.research.lu.se/files/2576037/624262.pdf wos:000186985700009 scopus:0345479168 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12122.x |
container_title |
Oikos |
container_volume |
103 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
341 |
op_container_end_page |
349 |
_version_ |
1766303533527728128 |