Seabird study links Atlantic crossings to body-clock disruption
Researchers found that Manx shearwaters can make navigation errors when rapid ocean crossings leave their internal clocks out of step with local time.
Fast flights across the Atlantic can upset Manx shearwaters’ internal clocks and cause mistakes in their homeward navigation, a study found. The birds’ internal timing can become misaligned with local time.
The research points to a parallel with human jet lag. Travelers crossing multiple time zones may arrive with their circadian rhythm—the body’s 24-hour clock—out of step with the time at their destination.
Birds navigate using several signals, with the sun among their directional guides. For a bird heading south, the sun appears on the left at dawn but on the right as sunset approaches. Relying on that cue requires adjustments to its heading as the sun’s position changes.
