The secret to pigeons’ incredible navigation was hiding in their liver
May 31, 2026
Scientists have uncovered a surprising navigation system in pigeons: iron-filled immune cells in the liver that may act like tiny magnetic sensors. Birds deprived of these cells struggled to find their way home under overcast skies, indicating they rely on Earth’s magnetic field for guidance. The
discovery could solve a decades-old mystery about animal navigation and reveal an unexpected connection between immunity and sensing the environment. ...read more read less