Study reveals pigeons are navigating with magnetic sensors in their liver

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Researchers have discovered that pigeons’ amazing ability to navigate may be linked to a magnetic sensor located in their liver.

For thousands of years, people have relied on pigeons to deliver messages, including important news and military communications. Similar to how some fish and turtles navigate, scientists believe pigeons use the Earth’s magnetic field to help them find their way – essentially using it as a built-in compass.

I’ve always been amazed by how pigeons find their way home, and for nearly a century, scientists have been trying to figure it out too! There have been so many ideas – some thought it had to do with special light sensors in their eyes, while others believed the answer was in their beaks or even their inner ears. But a recent study might finally have cracked the code!

Study assessed homing pigeons’ organs

A recent study published in Science.org examined how pigeons find their way home. Researchers looked at organs thought to be involved in navigation – like the eyes, beak, and ears – but discovered the strongest magnetic sense was actually located in the bird’s liver.

Researchers at the University of Bonn, led by Christian Kurts, discovered that pigeons have unique immune cells in their livers which process red blood cells and store iron. Interestingly, when these cells were removed, the pigeons lost their ability to navigate, implying that the iron stored in their livers may be crucial for their sense of direction.

The birds’ internal compasses only seemed to malfunction on cloudy days, indicating that they heavily depend on the sun to find their way. Martin Wikelski, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, has noted that birds likely use a combination of navigational techniques.

He explained that finding your way around relies on all your senses. Just like animals – birds and mammals, for instance – you use sight, smell, and anything else available. But if those senses aren’t enough, you have an internal magnetic sense to fall back on.

The research indicates that other animals, like mice, could function in a similar way. However, scientists agree that further investigation is necessary to understand exactly how signals from the liver get to the brain.

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2026-05-30 16:18