title: Homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) can use magnetic cues for locating food.
abstract: An experimental group of homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) learned to associate food with a magnetic anomaly produced by bar magnets that were fixed to the bowl in which they received their daily food ration in their home loft; the control group lacked this experience. Both groups were trained to search for two hidden food depots in a rectangular sand-filled arena without obvious visual cues; for the experimental birds, these depots were also marked with three 1.15 x 10(6) muT bar magnets. During the tests, there were two food depots, one marked with the magnets, the other unmarked; their position within the arena was changed from test to test. The experimental birds searched within 10 cm of the magnetically marked depot in 49% of the test sessions, whereas the control birds searched there in only 11% of the sessions. Both groups searched near the control depot in 11 and 13% of the sessions, respectively. The significant preference of the magnetically marked food depot by the experimental birds shows that homing pigeons cannot only detect a magnetic anomaly but can also use it as a cue for locating hidden food in an open arena.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, J.W.Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstr. 70, 61231 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thalau
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holtkamp-Rötzler
authors.forename: Gerta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fleissner
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wiltschko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010856:Columbidae / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D008280:Magnetics; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual