Avian Long-Distance Navigation: Experiments with Migratory Birds

Åkesson, Susanne

doi:10.1007/978-3-662-05957-9_33

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…There are in theory at least five different homing strategies (Wallraff 1990, Dusenbery 1992, Åkesson 2003) adult green turtles might use alone or in combination to navigate to the isolated Ascension Island after displacement. Below we have listed the alternative homing strategies and the corresponding predictions of the turtles’ homing behaviour generated by each model.…”

Section: Theoretical Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigation by green turtles: which strategy do displaced adults use to find Ascension Island?

Åkesson¹,

Broderick²,

Glen³

et al. 2003

Oikos

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Sea turtles are known to perform long‐distance, oceanic migrations between disparate feeding areas and breeding sites, some of them located on isolated oceanic islands. These migrations demonstrate impressive navigational abilities, but the sensory mechanisms used are still largely unknown. Green turtles breeding at Ascension Island perform long oceanic migrations (>2200 km) between foraging areas along the Brazilian coast and the isolated island. By performing displacement experiments of female green turtles tracked by satellite telemetry in the waters around Ascension Island we investigated which strategies most probably are used by the turtles in locating the island. In the present paper we analysed the search trajectories in relation to alternative navigation strategies including the use of global geomagnetic cues, ocean currents, celestial cues and wind. The results suggest that the turtles did not use chemical information transported with ocean currents. Neither did the results indicate that the turtles use true bi‐coordinate geomagnetic navigation nor did they use indirect navigation with respect to any of the available magnetic gradients (total field intensity, horizontal field intensity, vertical field intensity, inclination and declination) or celestial cues. The female green turtles successfully locating Ascension Island seemed to use a combination of searching followed by beaconing, since they searched for sensory contact with the island until they reached positions NW and N of the Island and from there presumably used cues transported by wind to locate the island during the final stages of the search.

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Section: Theoretical Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigation by green turtles: which strategy do displaced adults use to find Ascension Island?

Åkesson¹,

Broderick²,

Glen³

et al. 2003

Oikos

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“…Still little is known about the cues that are used to guide the albatrosses during these long migrations (e.g. Papi and Luschi 1996, Å kesson 1996, 2003, Bonadonna et al 2003a). We believe a combined effort using experimental paradigms (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite these impressive navigational performances, it is still largely unknown which cues they use for navigation and how they are able to locate these remote sites (e.g. Papi and Luschi 1996, Å kesson 1996, 2003, Å kesson and Alerstam 1998, Bonadonna et al 2003a). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Albatross Long-Distance Navigation: Comparing Adults And Juveniles

Åkesson¹,

Weimerskirch

2005

J. Navigation

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This paper was first presented at RIN 05, the 5th quadrennial conference on Orientation and Navigation in Birds, Humans and other Animals which was held at the University of Reading between 6-8th April 2005.Albatrosses are known for their extreme navigation performance enabling them to locate isolated breeding islands after long-distance migrations across open seas. Little is known about the migration of young albatrosses and how they reach the adults' navigation and foraging skills during the period of immaturity lasting several years and spent permanently flying across the open ocean. We tracked by satellite telemetry the dispersal and migration of 13 juvenile wandering albatrosses from the Crozet Islands during their first year at sea. The young albatrosses covered an average distance of 184,000 km during the first year, restricting their dispersal movement to the unproductive and low wind subtropical Indian Ocean and Tasman Sea. The juveniles initiated the migration by an innate phase of rapid dispersal encoded as a fixed flight direction assisted by southerly winds towards north and northeast. Thereafter each individual restricted its movement to a particular zone of the ocean that will possibly be used until they start breeding 7-10 years later and return in contact with breeding adults. This dispersal in young birds corresponds well with movements observed for adult non-breeding wandering albatrosses. The results show clearly an inherited ability to navigate back to already visited areas in young wandering albatrosses. The juvenile dispersal behaviour and migration at sea suggest a genetically based migration program, encoding navigation to a destination area used throughout the life. K E Y

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“…Geographic displacements studies with adult birds during migration consistently show that individuals that have made at least one migratory journey are capable of reorientation, suggesting they are following a goal‐oriented navigation strategy (Åkesson , Mouritsen ). Orientation of captive individuals and recoveries of banded birds show that adults change direction consistent with compensation for natural and experimental displacement and can reach a goal after displacement.…”

Section: Evidence For Positioning In Birds: What We Know About Passermentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian navigation and geographic positioning

Deutschlander

Beason²

2014

J. Field Ornithol.

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Site fidelity to breeding and wintering grounds, and even stopover sites, suggests that passerines are capable of accurate navigation during their annual migrations. Geolocator‐based studies are beginning to demonstrate precise population‐specific migratory routes and even some interannual consistency in individual routes. Displacement studies of birds have shown that at least adult birds are capable of goal‐oriented movements, likely involving some type of map or geographic position system. In contrast, juveniles on their first migration use a clock‐and‐compass orientation strategy, with limited knowledge about locations along their migratory routes. Positioning information could come from a variety of cues including visual, olfactory, acoustic, and geomagnetic sources. How information from these systems is integrated and used for avian navigation has yet to be fully articulated. In this review, we (1) define geographic positioning and distinguish the types of navigational strategies that birds could use for orientation, (2) describe sensory cues available to birds for geographic positioning, (3) review the evidence for geographic positioning in birds and methods used to collect that evidence, and (4) discuss ways ornithologists, particularly field ornithologists, can contribute to and advance our knowledge of the navigational abilities of birds. Few studies of avian orientation and navigation mechanisms have been conducted in the Western Hemisphere. To fully understand migratory systems in the Western Hemisphere and develop better conservation policies, information about the orientation and navigation mechanisms used by specific species needs to be integrated with other aspects of their migration ecology and biology.

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Avian Long-Distance Navigation: Experiments with Migratory Birds

Cited by 16 publications

References 85 publications

Navigation by green turtles: which strategy do displaced adults use to find Ascension Island?

Navigation by green turtles: which strategy do displaced adults use to find Ascension Island?

Albatross Long-Distance Navigation: Comparing Adults And Juveniles

Avian navigation and geographic positioning

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