How Pigeons Sense the Earth's Magnetic Field – A Scientific Breakthrough from the ICARUS Project
How do pigeons find their way home when the sun is hidden, the sky is completely overcast, and no landmarks are visible?
For decades, this question has fascinated scientists around the world. Now, an international research team led by behavioral biologist Prof. Martin Wikelski has made a major breakthrough. In a recent study published in the prestigious journal Science, the researchers present the first concrete evidence of how pigeons may perceive the Earth's magnetic field.
At the center of the discovery are tiny iron-containing cells located in the birds’ livers, known as superparamagnetic macrophages. These cells appear to function as biological magnetic sensors. During the experiments, pigeons lost their sense of direction completely when these cells were temporarily deactivated while the sky remained overcast. As soon as the sun became visible again, the birds immediately regained their orientation and successfully returned home.
The findings significantly advance our understanding of animal navigation. For many years, magnetoreception—the ability of animals to detect the Earth’s magnetic field—has been regarded as one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in biology. This study provides the first evidence of a specific biological mechanism that may explain how animals use the invisible forces of the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation.
This scientific breakthrough was made possible through state-of-the-art transmitter technology and highly precise GPS tracking within the framework of the international ICARUS project. Researchers were able to monitor the pigeons’ movements in real time, allowing them to observe exactly how navigation behavior changed under different environmental conditions. Flight patterns that were previously invisible became measurable scientific data.
The study also highlights the immense value of wildlife tracking technology. Modern transmitters do far more than reveal where animals travel. They enable scientists to understand how animals perceive their environment, respond to changing conditions, and survive in challenging circumstances.
The Mysterious GPS of Pigeons
Since 2025, the Foundation for Animal, Nature and Species Conservation has supported the ICARUS project, continuing the commitment previously undertaken by the Academy for Zoo and Wildlife Protection (Akademie für Zoo- und Wildtierschutz e.V.), which played a crucial role in the development of the transmitter technology. Without these technological innovations, the discoveries reported today would not have been possible.
Today, ICARUS is generating valuable insights worldwide into migration routes, climate change, habitat use, and threats facing endangered species. Animals are becoming ambassadors for our planet, providing information about environmental change and helping scientists develop more effective conservation strategies.
The new publication in Science demonstrates the extraordinary potential of this research. It shows that technological innovation and nature conservation can work hand in hand—and that even the most elusive secrets of the natural world can be uncovered when scientists follow the journeys of animals with sufficient precision.
Source: Lisowski et al., “Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions”, Science, 2026.
