Birds Can “See” Magnetic Fields

New Research Sheds Light On How Birds Never Ask For Directions

Kids have been asking this question for ages, and we’ve never had a good answer, until now: how do birds know where to fly when heading south for the winter? Turns out, they’ve got a compass for eyes. New research indicates a unique protein in their eyes allows birds to “see” the Earth’s magnetic field, giving them the ability to fly for thousands of kilometres without stopping for directions. This goes against the previous theory that birds had iron-rich deposits in their beaks, acting as a compass. You can read more here.