Pigeons use magnetic sensors in their livers, specifically iron-rich immune cells, to navigate.

#Pigeons navigate using magnetic sensors in their livers https://www.mpg.de/26511515/pigeons-navigate-using-magnetic-sensors-in-their-livers Homing #pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic #macrophages under overcast conditions: Clivia Lisowski, et al. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady2486 "pigeons may sense magnetic field using iron-rich immune cells in their livers, a quantum effect... Findings suggest a new link between immunity and sensory perception in #birds... Many questions remain, particularly how signals from these cells are processed in the brain"

New insights into How pigeons exploit magnetic fields for navigation. Iron-rich immune cells in the liver may act as sensors for magnetic fields, serving as an internal compass. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/how-pigeons-exploit-magnetic-fields-for-navigation/