Orientation and distance in pigeon homing ( Columba livia)

Abstract

To study the role of distance in the initial orientation of homing pigeons, eight release sites around Bowling Green, Ohio were selected from 8 km to 320 km distance in each of the four cardinal compass directions. Two releases were made from each site and the homeward component of the average heading vector for each of the sixty-four releases was computed and considered in relation to the distance of displacement. The results do not support the idea of an intermediate zone of poor initial orientation. It is known that there are fundamental differences in homing behaviour which cannot be attributed to the stock or methods and therefore must involve loft site and release point connected factors. It is possible that these factors prevent a demonstration of a deterioration of initial orientation at intermediate distances for birds flying to the Bowling Green loft. The same factors may operate to provide the examples obtained at other locations and the cause may not be a general breakdown of the navigational system in some intermediate zone.