Figure 11.7. Earth’s magnetic field.Indeed, it is known that animals use multiple sources of informa-
tion about location and direction to guide them during their migra-
tions and other navigations; these include the sun’s position, odors,
sounds, visual landmarks, and more. And, there is now a great deal of
evidence indicating that many animals detect the geomagnetic field
and use it as a navigational aid. Experiments have been conducted
with birds, fish, sea turtles, and honeybees demonstrating the influ-
ence of magnetic fields on behavior.
One of the best-studied animals in the navigation business is the
common pigeon (Columba livia), selected for investigation due to its
very accurate and relatively easy-to-study navigational prowess. If
one takes a pigeon many miles from its home nest and releases it into