Publication: Earth.com

UCLA Expert: Morgan Tingley: Associate Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Benjamin Tonelli: PhD candidate, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Synopsis: Scientists have long known that bad weather can make migratory birds disoriented during their annual fall migrations. UCLA researchers have now found that disturbances to the Earth’s magnetic field can also lead birds astray even in perfect weather, and particularly during fall migrations.

UCLA News: “There’s increasing evidence that birds can actually see geomagnetic fields,” said Tingley. “In familiar areas, birds may navigate by geography, but in some situations it’s easier to use geomagnetism.” However, when the geomagnetic field is disrupted by, for instance, solar flares or sunspots, birds’ ability to use their magnetoreceptors can be impaired. “If the geomagnetic field experiences disturbance, it’s like using a distorted map that sends the birds off course,” Tingley explained. “We think the combination of high solar activity and geomagnetic disturbance leads to either a pause in migration or a switch to other cues during fall migration. Interestingly, birds that migrate during the day were generally exceptions to this rule – they were more affected by solar activity,” concluded Benjamin Tonelli.

Read more at Earth.com.