Very weak oscillating magnetic field disrupts the magnetic compass of songbird migrants

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Very weak oscillating magnetic field disrupts the magnetic compass of songbird migrants. / Pakhomov, Alexander; Bojarinova, Julia ; Cherbunin, Roman; Chetverikova, Raisa; Grigoryev, Philipp S.; Kavokin, Kirill; Kobylkov, Dmitry; Lubkovskaja, Regina ; Chernetsov, Nikita.

In: Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Vol. 14, No. 133, 20170364, 01.08.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

BibTeX

@article{d725ab5e452647e1875c3f8ef500a11a,

title = "Very weak oscillating magnetic field disrupts the magnetic compass of songbird migrants",

abstract = "Previously, it has been shown that long-distance migrants, garden warblers (Sylvia borin), were disoriented in the presence of narrow-band oscillating magnetic field (1.403 MHz OMF, 190 nT) during autumn migration. This agrees with the data of previous experiments with European robins (Erithacus rubecula). In this study, we report the results of experiments with garden warblers tested under a 1.403 MHz OMF with various amplitudes (∼0.4, 1, ∼2.4, 7 and 20 nT). We found that the ability of garden warblers to orient in round arenas using the magnetic compass could be disrupted by a very weak oscillating field, such as an approximate 2.4, 7 and 20 nT OMF, but not by an OMF with an approximate 0.4 nT amplitude. The results of the present study indicate that the sensitivity threshold of the magnetic compass to the OMF lies around 2-3 nT, while in experiments with European robins the birds were disoriented in a 15 nT OMF but could choose the appropriate migratory direction when a 5 nT OMF was added to the stationary magnetic field. The radical-pair model, one of the mainstream theories of avian magnetoreception, cannot explain the sensitivity to such a low-intensity OMF, and therefore, it needs further refinement.",

keywords = "Bird migration, Garden warbler, Magnetic compass, Orientation, Radical-pair model, Radiofrequency field",

author = "Alexander Pakhomov and Julia Bojarinova and Roman Cherbunin and Raisa Chetverikova and Grigoryev, {Philipp S.} and Kirill Kavokin and Dmitry Kobylkov and Regina Lubkovskaja and Nikita Chernetsov",

year = "2017",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1098/rsif.2017.0364",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Journal of the Royal Society Interface",

issn = "1742-5689",

publisher = "Royal Society of London",

number = "133",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Very weak oscillating magnetic field disrupts the magnetic compass of songbird migrants

AU - Pakhomov, Alexander

AU - Bojarinova, Julia

AU - Cherbunin, Roman

AU - Chetverikova, Raisa

AU - Grigoryev, Philipp S.

AU - Kavokin, Kirill

AU - Kobylkov, Dmitry

AU - Lubkovskaja, Regina

AU - Chernetsov, Nikita

PY - 2017/8/1

Y1 - 2017/8/1

N2 - Previously, it has been shown that long-distance migrants, garden warblers (Sylvia borin), were disoriented in the presence of narrow-band oscillating magnetic field (1.403 MHz OMF, 190 nT) during autumn migration. This agrees with the data of previous experiments with European robins (Erithacus rubecula). In this study, we report the results of experiments with garden warblers tested under a 1.403 MHz OMF with various amplitudes (∼0.4, 1, ∼2.4, 7 and 20 nT). We found that the ability of garden warblers to orient in round arenas using the magnetic compass could be disrupted by a very weak oscillating field, such as an approximate 2.4, 7 and 20 nT OMF, but not by an OMF with an approximate 0.4 nT amplitude. The results of the present study indicate that the sensitivity threshold of the magnetic compass to the OMF lies around 2-3 nT, while in experiments with European robins the birds were disoriented in a 15 nT OMF but could choose the appropriate migratory direction when a 5 nT OMF was added to the stationary magnetic field. The radical-pair model, one of the mainstream theories of avian magnetoreception, cannot explain the sensitivity to such a low-intensity OMF, and therefore, it needs further refinement.

AB - Previously, it has been shown that long-distance migrants, garden warblers (Sylvia borin), were disoriented in the presence of narrow-band oscillating magnetic field (1.403 MHz OMF, 190 nT) during autumn migration. This agrees with the data of previous experiments with European robins (Erithacus rubecula). In this study, we report the results of experiments with garden warblers tested under a 1.403 MHz OMF with various amplitudes (∼0.4, 1, ∼2.4, 7 and 20 nT). We found that the ability of garden warblers to orient in round arenas using the magnetic compass could be disrupted by a very weak oscillating field, such as an approximate 2.4, 7 and 20 nT OMF, but not by an OMF with an approximate 0.4 nT amplitude. The results of the present study indicate that the sensitivity threshold of the magnetic compass to the OMF lies around 2-3 nT, while in experiments with European robins the birds were disoriented in a 15 nT OMF but could choose the appropriate migratory direction when a 5 nT OMF was added to the stationary magnetic field. The radical-pair model, one of the mainstream theories of avian magnetoreception, cannot explain the sensitivity to such a low-intensity OMF, and therefore, it needs further refinement.

KW - Bird migration

KW - Garden warbler

KW - Magnetic compass

KW - Orientation

KW - Radical-pair model

KW - Radiofrequency field

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028874559&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rsif.2017.0364

DO - 10.1098/rsif.2017.0364

M3 - Article

C2 - 28794163

AN - SCOPUS:85028874559

VL - 14

JO - Journal of the Royal Society Interface

JF - Journal of the Royal Society Interface

SN - 1742-5689

IS - 133

M1 - 20170364

ER -

ID: 98680526