Walcott C
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York 14850.
EXS. 1991;60:38-51. doi: 10.1007/978-3-0348-7208-9_3.
The homing of racing pigeons is often slowed down on days of high sun-spot activity or variability in the earth's magnetic field. The orientation of Ring-billed Gull chicks as well as the vanishing bearings of homing pigeons also seem to change in response to variability in the earth's magnetic field. Furthermore, homing pigeons released under sunny skies at locations where the earth's magnetic field is distributed are disoriented, yet pigeons equipped with devices that change the magnetic field around their head home normally. Weighing all this evidence, it is hard to believe that pigeons use a magnetic map.
在太阳黑子活动频繁或地球磁场变化较大的日子里，赛鸽的归巢能力常常会受到影响。环嘴鸥雏鸟的定向以及信鸽的消失方位似乎也会随着地球磁场的变化而改变。此外，在地球磁场分布的地点，晴朗天空下放飞的信鸽会迷失方向，但配备了能改变其头部周围磁场装置的鸽子却能正常归巢。综合所有这些证据，很难相信鸽子会使用磁图。
