The navigation system of birds – part 1

Abstract

Avian navigation is a two-step process: First, the direction to the goal is determined as a compass course, in a second step, this course is located with a compass and converted into a flying direction. Birds have a magnetic compass that takes directional information from the geomagnetic field, a learned sun compass which derives direction from the sun azimuth; night-migrating birds can additionally derive directional information from the stars. How birds determine the course to their goal, will be explained in the second part of this article.