Abstract
Inexperienced as well as experienced pigeons, untreated as well as deprived of olfaction, were released at up to 34 sites symmetrically distributed around Würzburg (Germany) at distances ranging from 7 to 180 km. The pattern of their initial flight courses is most strikingly characterized by a preferred compass direction (PCD) pointing towards WNW. Homeward orientation is better in experienced than in inexperienced pigeons at distances lower than 100 km, but not at longer distances. Except within a short radius around home (less than 30 km), olfaction appears to be a necessary precondition for initial homeward orientation. It is argued that deviations from a directly homeward pointing course need not be caused by site-specific peculiarities, but may rather result from the mode in which the birds’ navigational mechanism operates.
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© 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Wallraff, H.G. (1982). Homing to Würzburg: An Interim Report on Long-Term Analyses of Pigeon Navigation. In: Papi, F., Wallraff, H.G. (eds) Avian Navigation. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68616-0_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68616-0_21
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