GoKawiilManx shearwaters show jet lag that skews their sun-based navigation, Oxford study finds
A Science study led by Oxford researcher Patrick Lewin found that Manx shearwaters, seabirds that forage hundreds of kilometers into the North Atlantic, experience a form of jet lag from crossing time zones during these trips. Because the birds rely on the sun's position combined with an internal clock to navigate, a desynchronized clock measurably distorts their compass heading on the way home.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The finding suggests that circadian disruption, long studied in humans, may be a widespread constraint on animals that rely on time-compensated sun compasses for long-distance travel. It could prompt researchers to reconsider how migratory errors or detours in other sun-navigating species might partly stem from internal clock mismatches rather than external factors like weather or wind.
- Manx shearwaters navigate using a sun compass paired with an internal body clock.
- Crossing time zones during foraging trips appears to desynchronize that clock, causing navigational errors akin to jet lag.
- The study, led by Patrick Lewin at the University of Oxford, was published in Science.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-10-31
Published there as: “Seabirds racing home over the ocean can get jet-lagged”
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