HOMING PIGEONS USE OLFACTORY CUES FOR NAVIGATION IN ENGLAND

Although the use of olfactory cues in pigeon navigation is well establ ished, the generality of olfactory navigation remains uncertain becaus e of apparent variability in results gained by different researchers i n different regions. We report the results of the first experiments in vestigating the effect of anosmia on homing pigeons reared in a previo usly uninvestigated region, southern England. In series 1, experienced birds showed little effect of anosmia induced with zinc sulphate at u nfamiliar sites 30 km and 39 km from the loft, but treated birds were significantly poorer than controls at homing from an unfamiliar site 6 6 km distant (and in pooled results). In series 2, naive (untrained) b irds, both control and zinc-sulphate-treated, showed poor homing abili ties and initial orientation from sites 25 km, 36 km and 39 km from th e loft. Nevertheless, in pooled results, controls showed significantly better homeward orientation than anosmic birds and were significantly more likely to home on the day of release. The most likely explanatio n for our results is that pigeons are able to use olfactory navigation in southern England, but that for some reason the olfactory map is re latively weak.