Birds Have Beak Sensors
"I do??"Birds may be able to fly vast distances without getting lost because of sensors in their beaks, according to a study on Wednesday.
German scientists said they found tiny iron oxide crystals in the skin lining of the upper beak of homing pigeons, laid out in a three-dimensional pattern that might help the birds to read the earth's magnetic field.
"The study suggests that the birds sense the magnetic field independent of their motion and posture and thus can identify their geographical position," publisher Springer said of the report in the journal Naturwissenschaften.
Scientists have long wondered how birds find their way, often migrating over thousands of miles to find the same tree.
Read the rest of the story here.
posted by birdchick at 12:48 PM
4 Comments:
That makes sense. If the beak is headed in the right direction, the rest of the bird will be, too.
I think I could use a beak sensor installed in my nose.I have a terrible sense of direction.-The nuns never should have switched me from lefty to righty.
As a science nerd, I find that very interesting.
I think I must have iron oxide in me. I can always find my way. Maybe I am part pigeon?
I love homing pigeons. My grandfather belonged to a local club and had about 100 of them.
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