A study looked at how European robins know where to go when migrating. Credit: Public Domain By Amber Bennett Have you ever wondered how birds know where to go when they migrate? Recent research into birds' sense of direction shed some light on their ability to sense Earth's magnetic fields. The study led credence to the idea that birds have a sort of "quantum compass" that helps them navigate. Songbirds have a protein in their retinas called cryptochrome 4 (CRY4), and the new study shows it might be why birds can sense magnetic fields. For decades, some scientists have believed that this protein works similarly to a needle on a compass. However, this study using the variety of CRY4 found in European robins was the first to measure the protein's actual response to magnetic fields. So, How Does This 'Compass' Work? CRY4 is light-dependent, so it needs light at the proper wavelength to work. In fact, an earlier study found that migratory birds have trouble f
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