Magnetic compass orientation of migratory birds in the presence of a 1.315 MHz oscillating field (original) (raw)

Abstract

The radical pair model of magnetoreception predicts that magnetic compass orientation can be disrupted by high frequency magnetic fields in the Megahertz range. European robins, Erithacus rubecula, were tested under monochromatic 565 nm green light in 1.315 MHz fields of 0.48 μT during spring and autumn migration, with 1.315 MHz being the frequency that matches the energetic splitting induced by the local geomagnetic field. The birds’ responses depended on the alignment of the oscillating field with respect to the static geomagnetic field: when the 1.315 MHz field was aligned parallel with the field lines, birds significantly preferred northerly directions in spring and southerly directions in autumn. These preferences reflect normal migratory orientation, with the variance slightly increased compared to control tests in the geomagnetic field alone or to tests in a 7.0 MHz field. However, in the 1.315 MHz field aligned at a 24° angle to the field lines, the birds were disoriented in both seasons, indicating that the high frequency field interfered with magnetoreception. These finding are in agreement with theoretical predictions and support the assumption of a radical-pair mechanism underlying the processes mediating magnetic compass information in birds.

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Acknowledgements

Our work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (W.W.) and by the Fetzer Institute (T.R.). We gratefully acknowledge the technical support of the T-Systems, Germany, especially of H. Küpper, T. Loppnow and B. Marx, and we thank F. Galera, S. Hilmer, C. Koschella and S. Münzner for their valuable help with bird keeping and conducting the experiments

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Zoologisches Institut, J.W.Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstr. 70, 60054, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
   Peter Thalau, Katrin Stapput, Roswitha Wiltschko & Wolfgang Wiltschko
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-4575, USA
   Thorsten Ritz

Authors

1. Peter Thalau
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2. Thorsten Ritz
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3. Katrin Stapput
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4. Roswitha Wiltschko
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5. Wolfgang Wiltschko
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Correspondence toRoswitha Wiltschko.

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Thalau, P., Ritz, T., Stapput, K. et al. Magnetic compass orientation of migratory birds in the presence of a 1.315 MHz oscillating field.Naturwissenschaften 92, 86–90 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-004-0595-8

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• Received: 18 August 2004
• Accepted: 11 November 2004
• Published: 22 December 2004
• Issue Date: February 2005
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-004-0595-8

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