Electro Magnetic Fields and Migrating Birds

Corsendonk

Does electro magnetic fields of power lines effect migrating birds navigation systems?

Connacht

I hope you don't mind if I widen this query out a little, Corsendonk, but does anybody know if there is evidence of power line laying and wind turbine construction, etc, disturbing bird behaviour at the sites or indeed displacing them altogether (nesting sites, winter roosting sites and so on).

LostCovey

Corsendonk wrote: »

Does electro magnetic fields of power lines effect migrating birds navigation systems?

No there is no evidence of this. Birds do use them as landmarks when migrating and sometimes follow them in the same way that they follow railway tracks, roads and rivers.

And birds sometimes fly into powerlines, especially big birds like swans but other than that they seem to do no harm.

LostCovey

CJhaughey

I thought that birds navigated by using polarised light?

F.R.

Birds use a number of different systems to navigate :

Vector navigation, basically pick a direction and keep going in that direction.
Stellar orientation, The celestial pole remains in a fixed relationship to the constellations as the earth rotates thus presenting a firm point of reference.
Solar orientation, Species of bird which employ the sun for orientation do so based on the suns’ azimuth.
Polarised light, Polarisation is perceptible even under cloudy skies.
Magnetic cues, Birds utilise the inclination of magnetic field lines relative to the earth’s surface.
Landmarks, Some birds orient their route using rivers, coastlines and mountain ridges.
Olfaction, homing pigeons use airborne odours or the lack of specific odours in navigation.