Homing in Pigeons with Impaired Vision

1 September 1972

journal article
Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Vol. 69 (9) , 2446-2447
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.69.9.2446

Abstract

In order to test the importance of vision in homing pigeons, their vision was impaired by frosted contact lenses. Pigeons wearing such lenses seemed unable to recognize artificial landmarks at 6-m distance. Nevertheless, most birds homed from distances of 15 km, and some even from 130-km distance. This result indicates that, contrary to common expectation, vision need not play an essential role in homing.

Keywords

IMPAIRED VISION
HOMING PIGEONS
LENSES
COMMON EXPECTATION
RECOGNIZE ARTIFICIAL
PIGEONS WEARING
FROSTED CONTACT

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:

Magnets Interfere with Pigeon Homing
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1971
[On the effect of static magnetic fields on the migratory orientation of the robin (Erithacus rubecula)].
1968