‘Fixed direction’-responses of birds in the geomagnetic field
Open accessAbstract
IN A RECENT PAPER, WE DESCRIBED THE ORIENTATION BEHAVIOR OF TWO PASSERINE MIGRANTS UNDER DIM RED LIGHT: the birds headed westward in spring as well as in autumn, displaying a 'fixed direction'-response. 'Fixed direction'-responses in other directions were observed under abnormal light regimes. Here, we point out the characteristic features of the 'fixed direction'-responses, in particular their differences to normal compass orientation, and discuss their implications. The conditions under which they are observed suggest complex interactions between magnetoreception and the visual system.
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Singlet-triplet mixing experiences the influence of the Earth's magnetic field and has offered some way of explaining behavioural observations such as light-dependence, inclination aspect and resonance effects of the avian compass.
“It is the singlet -triplet mixing that experiences the influence of the Earth's magnetic field and that has offered some way of explaining behavioural observations such as the light-dependence [94], inclination aspect [95] and resonance effects of the avian compass [96,97].”
From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [94]
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- Authors
- Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W.
- Affiliations
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Wiltschko, Roswitha
- ORCID
- Wiltschko, Roswitha
- Venue
- Communicative & Integrative Biology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-03
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 100-103
- ISSN
- 1942-0889 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2686356
- OpenAlex
- W2059467092
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Communicative & Integrative Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Keywords
- bird migration, geomagnetic field, magnetoreception, compass orientation, passerine migrants, dim red light, visual system, spring and autumn migration
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