Seabirds racing home over the ocean can get jet-lagged

Birds Get Jet Lag Too

Jet lag is when your body thinks it is the middle of the night, but the clock says it is lunchtime. A new study in the journal Science shows that Manx shearwaters, seabirds, can get jet lag during their long trips over the ocean. Because these birds use the Sun to navigate, jet lag affects their sense of direction.

Key Facts About the Birds

• Manx shearwaters are about the size of a pigeon.
• They are white underneath and black on top, with very long wings.
• They can fly hundreds of kilometers in a day over the North Atlantic.
• They feed anywhere from a few dozen to more than 1,000 kilometers out into the Atlantic.
• About half of their population lives in Wales. Most breed around the UK and Ireland.

How the Birds Find Home

Manx shearwaters nest in burrows on coastal islands. After feeding far out at sea, they must find their way back. Scientists think they first work out where they are, possibly by smell. Then they use the Sun as a compass. The Sun moves across the sky, so the birds must correct their direction all day. To do this, they need an inner clock that tells them the time of day. Birds, like most animals, have such a clock. But the clock in Manx shearwaters is not perfect.

Why It Matters

The study shows that even a small error in an animal's inner clock can throw off its navigation. It helps scientists understand how wild animals find their way over huge distances. It also shows that jet lag is not only a human problem.

What to Watch Next

• Whether other migrating birds or animals also get jet lag.
• How jet lag affects the birds' survival and their ability to get home.
• How much the bird's clock can shift after long trips.