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Peer-reviewedCC BYScience

Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions

  • Clivia Lisowski1
  • Michael Quetting2
  • Daniela Klaus1
  • Lisa Lazarevski1
  • Lea Seep3
  • Maximilian Germer1
  • Jian Li1
  • Inge Müller2
  • Daniel Zúñiga2
  • Wolfgang Fiedler2
  • Dina K. N. Dechmann2
  • Kasper Thorup4,2
7 more authors
  • Jan Hasenauer3
  • Lars Fester5
  • Stefanie Küerten5
  • Michael Farle6
  • Ulf Wiedwald6
  • Martin C. Wikelski7,2
  • Christian Kurts1,8
8 affiliations
  1. 1Institute for Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology, University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  2. 2Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
  3. 3Computational Biology, Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute and Bonn Center for Mathematical Life Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  4. 4Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, Denmark
  5. 5Institute of Neuroanatomy, University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  6. 6Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
  7. 7Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
  8. 8Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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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.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{lisowski2026homing,
  title = {{Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions}},
  author = {Clivia Lisowski and Michael Quetting and Daniela Klaus and Lisa Lazarevski and Lea Seep and Maximilian Germer and Jian Li and Inge Müller and Daniel Zúñiga and Wolfgang Fiedler and Dina K. N. Dechmann and Kasper Thorup and Jan Hasenauer and Lars Fester and Stefanie Küerten and Michael Farle and Ulf Wiedwald and Martin C. Wikelski and Christian Kurts},
  journal = {Science},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.1126/science.ady2486},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady2486},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions
AU  - Clivia Lisowski
AU  - Michael Quetting
AU  - Daniela Klaus
AU  - Lisa Lazarevski
AU  - Lea Seep
AU  - Maximilian Germer
AU  - Jian Li
AU  - Inge Müller
AU  - Daniel Zúñiga
AU  - Wolfgang Fiedler
AU  - Dina K. N. Dechmann
AU  - Kasper Thorup
AU  - Jan Hasenauer
AU  - Lars Fester
AU  - Stefanie Küerten
AU  - Michael Farle
AU  - Ulf Wiedwald
AU  - Martin C. Wikelski
AU  - Christian Kurts
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/28
JO  - Science
DO  - 10.1126/science.ady2486
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady2486
AB  - 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.
SN  - 0036-8075
SN  - 0193-4511
SN  - 1095-9203
ER  -