Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions.
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| Title: | Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions. |
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| Authors: | Lisowski, Clivia (AUTHOR), Quetting, Michael (AUTHOR), Klaus, Daniela (AUTHOR), Lazarevski, Lisa (AUTHOR), Seep, Lea (AUTHOR), Germer, Maximilian (AUTHOR), Li, Jian (AUTHOR), Müller, Inge (AUTHOR), Zuniga, Daniel (AUTHOR), Fiedler, Wolfgang (AUTHOR), Dechmann, Dina K. N. (AUTHOR), Thorup, Kasper (AUTHOR), Hasenauer, Jan (AUTHOR), Fester, Lars (AUTHOR), Kuerten, Stefanie (AUTHOR), Farle, Michael (AUTHOR), Wiedwald, Ulf (AUTHOR), Wikelski, Martin (AUTHOR), Kurts, Christian (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science. 5/28/2026, Vol. 392 Issue 6801, p985-991. 7p. |
| Subjects: | Macrophages, Cloudiness, Geomagnetism, Animal navigation, Bird migration, Magnetoreception, Magnetic sensors, Kupffer cells |
| Abstract: | Birds use a variety of navigational strategies, including the geomagnetic field, especially when other cues are not available, such as under overcast or nocturnal conditions. Magnetite particles in the beak, cryptochromes in the eye, cellular ion-channel alterations, and changes in the vestibular system have been proposed to explain magnetoreception, but the exact mechanisms remain debated. Here, we used physical, morphological, functional, and genomic assays to identify the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver. We found that after macrophage depletion, pigeons flying under overcast conditions lacked their usual orientation capabilities. Orientation was unimpaired in birds without macrophages when the sun was visible, suggesting that this was their primary cue. We propose that in homing pigeons, superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver are required for finding magnetic direction. Editor's summary: It has long been known that birds rely, at least in part, on magnetoreception to orient their movements. The mechanisms underlying this reception appear to be numerous and are still being discovered. Physiological connections have been found in the head, including the beak, eyes, and brain, but Lisowski et al. have now identified the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver (see the Perspective by Spiro and Drakesmith). On cloudy days when they could not see the sun, pigeons whose magnetic macrophages had been depleted were unable to navigate home. The authors conclude that these liver-based macrophages are required for navigation when the sun doesn't shine. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Birds use a variety of navigational strategies, including the geomagnetic field, especially when other cues are not available, such as under overcast or nocturnal conditions. Magnetite particles in the beak, cryptochromes in the eye, cellular ion-channel alterations, and changes in the vestibular system have been proposed to explain magnetoreception, but the exact mechanisms remain debated. Here, we used physical, morphological, functional, and genomic assays to identify the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver. We found that after macrophage depletion, pigeons flying under overcast conditions lacked their usual orientation capabilities. Orientation was unimpaired in birds without macrophages when the sun was visible, suggesting that this was their primary cue. We propose that in homing pigeons, superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver are required for finding magnetic direction. Editor's summary: It has long been known that birds rely, at least in part, on magnetoreception to orient their movements. The mechanisms underlying this reception appear to be numerous and are still being discovered. Physiological connections have been found in the head, including the beak, eyes, and brain, but Lisowski et al. have now identified the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver (see the Perspective by Spiro and Drakesmith). On cloudy days when they could not see the sun, pigeons whose magnetic macrophages had been depleted were unable to navigate home. The authors conclude that these liver-based macrophages are required for navigation when the sun doesn't shine. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.ady2486 |
