Birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field

Science
Birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field

Migratory birds like robins use Earth's invisible magnetic field as a natural GPS, guiding them across continents with astonishing precision and an innate sense of direction.

Many birds, especially migratory songbirds, possess an incredible built-in compass: Earth's magnetic field. This ability, called magnetoreception, allows them to detect the planet's invisible geomagnetic lines, guiding them over thousands of miles without landmarks. For instance, European robins can orient themselves accurately in total darkness using only these magnetic cues, a phenomenon studied since the 1960s.

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