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Biology

Navigation and Homing in Homing Pigeons

Quick fact

Homing pigeons can find their loft from over 1,000 kilometers away, even when released in unfamiliar territory. They use an internal 'map and compass' system that combines the sun's position, Earth's magnetic field, smells, and landmarks, but the exact way they integrate these cues is still being pieced together.

Why this is interesting

Imagine being dropped off in a completely unfamiliar place, hundreds of kilometers from home, with no map or GPS. Yet homing pigeons do this every day and fly straight back to their loft—how do they do it?