Seabirds suffer jet lag on long Atlantic flights, Oxford study finds

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 17:02 · Archive

Oxford University scientists have discovered that seabirds flying hundreds of miles across the Atlantic can suffer jet lag, causing them to become disoriented during their journeys. The researchers found that gulls experience a mismatch between their internal body clocks and local time as they travel long distances, resulting in predictable errors when navigating by the sun. This mirrors the process that causes jet lag in humans.

The study, published in the journal Science, explains how the clock-shift occurs during long homing flights. When a bird travels eastwards across time zones, sunrise happens earlier at its destination than its internal clock expects. This causes the bird's perceived time to lag behind local time, making the sun appear further clockwise than the bird expects, leading it to orient in the wrong direction by roughly 20 degrees.

Many species, including birds, have long been known to use the sun for navigation. The research team say their findings may help humans better understand and cope with the sometimes debilitating effects of long-haul flights.

How it is being reported

• Birds suffer 'jet lag' on long distance flights, Oxford study findsSeabirds can suffer "jet lag" during long-distance flights and will cause them to lose their way, reveals new research.Oxford Mail · 1 Nov, 16:00
• Birds suffer 'jet lag' on long distance flights, Oxford study findsSeabirds can suffer "jet lag" during long-distance flights and will cause them to lose their way, reveals new research.Oxfordshire Guardian · 1 Nov, 16:00

In this story: Oxford University · Atlantic · Science

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