{
  "abstract": "Birds use a variety of navigational strategies, including the geomagnetic field, especially when other cues are not available, such as under overcast or nocturnal conditions. Magnetite particles in the beak, cryptochromes in the eye, cellular ion-channel alterations, and changes in the vestibular system have been proposed to explain magnetoreception, but the exact mechanisms remain debated. Here, we used physical, morphological, functional, and genomic assays to identify the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver. We found that after macrophage depletion, pigeons flying under overcast conditions lacked their usual orientation capabilities. Orientation was unimpaired in birds without macrophages when the sun was visible, suggesting that this was their primary cue. We propose that in homing pigeons, superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver are required for finding magnetic direction.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute for Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology, University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany",
    "Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany",
    "Computational Biology, Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute and Bonn Center for Mathematical Life Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany",
    "Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, Denmark",
    "Institute of Neuroanatomy, University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany",
    "Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany",
    "Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany",
    "Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 19,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Clivia Lisowski",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1659-6315"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Michael Quetting",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7527-2367"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Daniela Klaus"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lisa Lazarevski",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-9096-317X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Lea Seep",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0399-1896"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Maximilian Germer",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-4423-1327"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jian Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6388-3179"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Inge Müller",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-1611-9994"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Zúñiga",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7198-7242"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Wolfgang Fiedler",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1082-4161"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Dina K. N. Dechmann",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0043-8267"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kasper Thorup",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0320-0601"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jan Hasenauer",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4935-3312"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Lars Fester",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-3588-5333"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Stefanie Küerten",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6119-605X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Michael Farle",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1864-3261"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Ulf Wiedwald",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3209-4078"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Martin C. Wikelski",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9790-7025"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Christian Kurts",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6620-2401"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwadrez22jy12.bib",
  "cited_by": 7,
  "doi": "10.1126/science.ady2486",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "fwadrez22jy12",
  "issns": [
    "0036-8075",
    "0193-4511",
    "1095-9203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady2486",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1304|Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7162697177",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42207892",
  "published": "2026-05-28",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwadrez22jy12.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:48Z",
      "native_id": "W7162697177",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady2486"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1304|Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions",
  "title_text": "Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T13:20:30Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwadrez22jy12",
  "venue": "Science",
  "versions": []
}