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The influence of fat stores on magnetic orientation in day-migrating Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs

Bäckman, Johan LU orcid ; Pettersson, Jan and Sandberg, Roland LU (1997) In Ethology 103(3). p.247-256
Abstract
Earlier experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of day-migrating birds to perform migration under overcast skies, thereby indicating use of cues other than solar. The orientation behaviour of the chaffinch, a diurnal migrant, was investigated in orientation cage experiments during the autumn migration period. The aim of our experiments was to examine the relationship between different orientation cues and the influence of body condition on directional choices. We obtained the following results: 1. Chaffinches displayed a bimodal distribution of headings along a SW-NE axis when tested in the local geomagnetic field (controls); 2. When the geomagnetic field was experimentally deflected 90° counterclockwise, the chaffinches... (More)
Earlier experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of day-migrating birds to perform migration under overcast skies, thereby indicating use of cues other than solar. The orientation behaviour of the chaffinch, a diurnal migrant, was investigated in orientation cage experiments during the autumn migration period. The aim of our experiments was to examine the relationship between different orientation cues and the influence of body condition on directional choices. We obtained the following results: 1. Chaffinches displayed a bimodal distribution of headings along a SW-NE axis when tested in the local geomagnetic field (controls); 2. When the geomagnetic field was experimentally deflected 90° counterclockwise, the chaffinches responded by changing their preferred axial orientation to SE-NW; and 3. The predictive power of stored fat reserves became evident when both the control and experimental samples were subdivided into fat and lean individuals. The majority of fat controls orientated towards a seasonally appropriate SW direction, whereas lean controls chose mean directions towards the NE. Experimentals followed the same pattern, but with the expected deflection, i.e. fat birds selected SE headings and lean individuals chose a NW mean direction. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Ethology
volume
103
issue
3
pages
247 - 256
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0030617063
ISSN
1439-0310
DOI
10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00120.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0d120817-b424-4aa0-bd2e-f0b3cb981eaf (old id 1857034)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:35:27
date last changed
2022-04-21 17:33:17
@article{0d120817-b424-4aa0-bd2e-f0b3cb981eaf,
  abstract     = {{Earlier experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of day-migrating birds to perform migration under overcast skies, thereby indicating use of cues other than solar. The orientation behaviour of the chaffinch, a diurnal migrant, was investigated in orientation cage experiments during the autumn migration period. The aim of our experiments was to examine the relationship between different orientation cues and the influence of body condition on directional choices. We obtained the following results: 1. Chaffinches displayed a bimodal distribution of headings along a SW-NE axis when tested in the local geomagnetic field (controls); 2. When the geomagnetic field was experimentally deflected 90° counterclockwise, the chaffinches responded by changing their preferred axial orientation to SE-NW; and 3. The predictive power of stored fat reserves became evident when both the control and experimental samples were subdivided into fat and lean individuals. The majority of fat controls orientated towards a seasonally appropriate SW direction, whereas lean controls chose mean directions towards the NE. Experimentals followed the same pattern, but with the expected deflection, i.e. fat birds selected SE headings and lean individuals chose a NW mean direction.}},
  author       = {{Bäckman, Johan and Pettersson, Jan and Sandberg, Roland}},
  issn         = {{1439-0310}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{247--256}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ethology}},
  title        = {{The influence of fat stores on magnetic orientation in day-migrating Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00120.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00120.x}},
  volume       = {{103}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}