Birds navigate during migration using the sun, stars, and Earth's magnetic field.

The longer version

Birds carry several orientation systems at once. A sun compass needs an internal clock to correct for the sun's movement across the sky, a star compass reads the rotation pattern around the night sky's pivot, and a magnetic sense gives direction even under cloud. Young birds on a first trip appear to rely mostly on an inherited heading and a sense of how long to keep going.

Planetarium experiments showed that birds pick a seasonally correct direction from star patterns alone, and that shifting the artificial sky shifts their heading. The magnetic sense is harder to pin down and may involve light-sensitive chemistry in the eye. Older birds add learned landmarks, so accuracy improves with experience.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.