Further evidence for visual landmark involvement in the pigeon's familiar area map
Article Abstract:
It is widely believed that vision plays an important part in the homing skills of pigeons and that birds which are given a preview of visual landscapes are likely to reach home faster from familiar release sites. Experiments designed to replicate Braithwaite and Guilford's 1991 research, but allowing birds access to olfactory cues, demonstrate that pigeons given access to visual landmarks at familiar release sites home faster than those denied visual previews. However, it is still unknown how landmarks are encoded in the bird's area map.
Publication Name: Animal Behaviour
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0003-3472
Year: 1997
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The social transmission of spatial information in homing pigeons
Article Abstract:
The way that homing pigeons can transmit information on locations has been investigated by initially training pigeons to locate a food goal inside an indoor arena. Untrained birds then had to locate the food, and they were either alone or with a trained bird. The birds appeared to learn the task better on their own than when accompanied by a knowledgeable bird. The pigeon's learning could be inhibited if an experienced bird is present, and birds may prefer to follow others in flocks rather than seek to find food on their own.
Publication Name: Animal Behaviour
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0003-3472
Year: 1999
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The orientation salience of visual cues to the homing pigeon
Article Abstract:
The role of artificial visual landmarks in avian directional food-finding tasks was analyzed in the homing pigeons, Columba livia, via indoor experiments presenting two- and three-dimensional visual cues. Analysis of the avian homing mechanism of Columba livia indicated the role of the sun compass in facilitating directional food-finding task. Furthermore, the homing pigeons ignored two-dimensional visual cues and exhibited better homing performance in the presence of three-dimensional and two-dimensional visual cues.
Publication Name: Animal Behaviour
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0003-3472
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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