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Question

Write short notes in 150 words:
Navigation in birds

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2025 (Prelims) CSAT Official Paper (25-May-2025)

Bird navigation during migration is a remarkable feat, relying on multiple sensory cues used in combination. A key mechanism is magnetoreception, the ability to detect the Earth’s magnetic field. Birds possess a “magnetic compass” in their eyes, enabling them to sense the inclination and intensity of magnetic lines, effectively creating a magnetic map.

Celestial cues also play an important role. By day, birds use the sun compass, compensating for its movement with their internal clock, while at night they rely on a star compass, orienting themselves by constellations around the North Star.

In addition, some species employ olfactory cues, detecting unique atmospheric odors to locate natal breeding grounds. Visual landmarks such as coastlines, rivers, and mountain ranges further assist orientation, particularly over shorter ranges.

By integrating these mechanisms, birds achieve extraordinary navigational accuracy, enabling them to traverse continents and return to the same breeding or wintering sites each year.

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