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Health & Science6h 24m ago
Homing pigeons may rely on an unexpected navigation tool hidden in their liver, as iron-rich immune cells appear to help the birds sense Earth's magnetic field, especially when the Sun is hidden by clouds.
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Who
Researchers, scientists, experts, 34 homing pigeons
What
Homing pigeons may rely on an unexpected navigation tool hidden in their liver, as iron-rich immune cells appear to help the birds sense Earth's magnetic field, especially when the Sun is hidden by clouds.
When
Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:30:12 GMT · 6h 24m ago
Where
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Why
The liver cells may specifically help pigeons sense Earth’s magnetic field when other navigation cues are unavailable, like on heavily overcast days.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery provides a new understanding of how animals navigate. If confirmed, similar magnetic navigation mechanisms might be found in other animals, such as bees, bats, whales, and sharks.
Story chain
2 events in this thread- Health & Science6h 24m agoResearchers found that immune cells called macrophages in the livers of homing pigeons contain large amounts of iron stored in a protein called ferritin.Open article
- Currently Reading6h 24m agoHoming pigeons may rely on an unexpected navigation tool hidden in their liver, as iron-rich immune cells appear to help the birds sense Earth's magnetic field, especially when the Sun is hidden by clouds.