I. Steiner et B. Bruderer, Initial orientation and homing behaviour of pigeons under the influence ofshort wave transmissions, J ORNITHOL, 140(2), 1999, pp. 165-177
In order to test the potential influence of short wave radiation on the hom
ing behaviour of pigeons we positioned two lofts with adult homing pigeons
in the vicinity of a short wave transmitter. One loft was next to the trans
mitter and fully exposed to the radiation, the second protected against the
radiation (a) by topographical features and (b) by its position in a secto
r that was not used for transmission during daytime. In both lofts young pi
geons were raised and used for experimental flights at the age of three mon
ths. Adults accustomed to the new sites as well as young birds from the exp
osed and non-exposed lofts, respectively, were released some 11 km from the
loft for homeward flights towards the transmitter, with and without transm
ission towards the relevant sector.
Vanishing direction and vanishing time were not affected by the short wave
radiation in any of the groups, thus corroborating earlier experiments with
pigeons flying homewards from the transmitter towards distant lofts. Howev
er, all three groups raised in the absence of short wave radiation (A-, A+,
J-) homed tendentially faster in situations where radiation was absent com
pared to situations with radiation. Pooled in one data set the three groups
were significantly faster without radiation. On the other hand, the two ju
venile groups raised under radiation (J1+ and J2+) homed at the same speed
under both short wave situations. Furthermore, all five groups tended to ch
oose lower flight altitudes when released under the influence of short wave
radiation (significantly when groups were pooled). Besides the experiments
, observations near the loft gave the impression that the pigeons kept in t
he exposed loft were reluctant to fly in the neighbourhood of the loft, par
ticularly the adults.
We conclude that short wave radiation can be felt by the pigeons, but does
not interfere with their initial orientation. Reduced homing speeds of bird
s grown up without experiencing radiation, low flight levels in flights und
er radiation in all groups, and a general reluctance to fly of the pigeons
next to the exposed loft, suggest that the radiation has an undefined negat
ive effect on the birds. Unimpaired homing speeds in juveniles having grown
up under varying field strengths suggest that homing pigeons can become ac
customed to short wave radiation to a certain extent.