SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 28, 2026Nautilus

This Is What Gives Pigeons Their Excellent Sense of Direction

SMRTR summary

Pigeons can navigate hundreds of miles home using a magnetic sixth sense, and new research in Science suggests their liver may be the key. Iron-filled immune cells in the liver, positioned near nerves, appear to detect magnetic fields and relay directional information to the brain — pigeons without these cells got lost on cloudy days.

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