Seabirds' Jet Lag Throws Them Off Course

Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered that Manx shearwaters, a species of seabird, can lose their way due to their internal body clocks becoming out of sync with local time. This phenomenon, akin to jet lag, occurs when birds fly eastward across time zones after foraging trips over the Atlantic. The rapid eastward journeys disrupt the birds' sense of time and navigation, causing them to veer off course.

While adult shearwaters can generally correct their bearings, their journeys might be slightly extended. However, first-time foragers are at a significant risk, potentially flying hundreds of miles off course. This is because they lack a developed 'map sense' to reorient themselves when their sun compass navigation is compromised by the internal clock mismatch.

The study, which analyzed 20 years of GPS tracking data, confirmed that even when following coastlines with landmarks, the birds' reliance on the sun as a compass, guided by their internal clock, is paramount. This finding underscores the crucial importance of biological rhythms in animal behavior and navigation across various contexts.