Birds' Magnetic Compass During Migration is Drastically Impacted by Polarized Light

It turns out that the magnetic compass that birds use to orient themselves may be impacted by polarized light. Scientists have found that birds may be influenced by the type of light they encounter.

It's still unclear how the different directions of polarized light in relation to the Earth's magnetic field affect birds in the wild. Researchers have actually put forth the theory that birds use it to accentuate the magnetic field during sunrise and sunset in order to better help navigate. These are also times of day when migratory birds are believed to determine their direction and calibrate their compasses before flying.

In this latest study, the researchers examined zebra finches to see how they navigated in the presence of polarized light. They were taught to locate food inside a maze. However, the birds were only able to use their magnetic compass when the direction of the polarized light was parallel to the magnetic field, not when perpendicular to the magnetic field.

"We were expecting an effect, but not one so major that it would lead to complete disorientation when the direction of the polarization of light was perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field," said Rachel Muheim, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The findings reveal that birds depend heavily not just on the magnetic field, but also polarized light. This is especially important to note when considering the migration patterns of birds.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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