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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Birds Can "See" Earth's Magnetic Field


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Birds may actually see spots in front of their eyes that represent Earth's magnetic field, a new study suggests.

Researchers injected a special dye into migratory garden warblers (above) that traced activity on their brains' nerve fibers.

The scientists found that magnetic-sensing molecules are linked to a part of the brain that processes vision.

Photograph by Rolf Nussbaumer/Alamy