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True navigation in migrating gulls requires intact olfactory nerves
Martin Wikelski1,2, Elena Arriero1, Anna Gagliardo3
1Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|November 25, 2015
Summary
Migrating gulls use airborne scent cues for navigation. Sensory manipulation experiments showed that while birds can maintain direction, olfactory nerve section prevents them from correcting displacement during migration.
Area of Science:
- Ornithology
- Animal Behavior
- Sensory Ecology
Background:
- Migratory birds can correct displacements during long-distance journeys.
- The specific sensory cues used for avian navigation remain under investigation.
- Lesser black-backed gulls migrate between Northern Europe and Africa.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the sensory systems essential for navigation in lesser black-backed gulls.
- To investigate the role of olfactory and trigeminal nerves in correcting migratory displacement.
- To understand how birds navigate during their annual migration.
Main Methods:
- Adult lesser black-backed gulls were subjected to sensory manipulations (olfactory nerve section, trigeminal nerve section).
- Birds were translocated westward and eastward to simulate navigational challenges.
- Directional preferences and ability to compensate for displacement were recorded.
Main Results:
- Birds with olfactory nerve section maintained a southerly direction but could not compensate for westward displacement.
- Intact birds and those with trigeminal nerve section successfully oriented towards their migratory corridor.
- Air-borne olfactory information appears crucial for successful navigation in certain conditions.
Conclusions:
- Olfactory cues are important for lesser black-backed gulls to navigate and correct displacement during migration.
- The trigeminal nerve may play a role in maintaining orientation towards the migratory corridor.
- Sensory systems interact to enable successful long-distance avian navigation.
