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![ABSTRACT C. J. PENNYCUICK1, discussing the physical possibility of an estimate of the change in azimuth of a celestial object by a bird, says : “Birds very often fly round in circles whilst orienting, and therefore cannot have their eyes stabilized in azimuth. The change in azimuth can therefore be measured only by reference to a fixed object [_sic_], when the bird is stationary on the ground. Over the sea it is not physically possible to measure it at all without some kind of compass. However, birds do navigate over the sea. Hence Matthews' hypothesis as it stands is untenable”. Again in his summary: “Matthews' hypothesis … is rejected on the grounds of physical impossibility of making one of the measurements,…”. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS CELESTIAL COMPASS SENSOR MIMICS THE INSECT EYE FOR NAVIGATION UNDER CLOUDY AND OCCLUDED SKIES Article Open access 15 November 2023 PREDICTING PERFORMANCE OF NAÏVE MIGRATORY ANIMALS, FROM MANY WRONGS TO SELF-CORRECTION Article Open access 04 October 2022 SPATIOTEMPORAL COMPUTATIONS IN THE INSECT CELESTIAL COMPASS Article Open access 22 March 2025 REFERENCES * Pennycuick, C. J., _J. Exp. Biol._, 37, 573 (1960). Google Scholar * Matthews, G. V. T., _“Bird Navigation”_ (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1955). Google Scholar Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Zoology, University of Liverpool, R. J. PUMPHREY Authors * R. J. PUMPHREY View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE PUMPHREY, R. Sun Navigation by Birds. _Nature_ 188, 1127 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 24 December 1960 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative](https://media.springernature.com/w215h120/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs44172-023-00132-w/MediaObjects/44172_2023_132_Fig1_HTML.png)
ABSTRACT C. J. PENNYCUICK1, discussing the physical possibility of an estimate of the change in azimuth of a celestial object by a bird, says : “Birds very often fly round in circles whilst
orienting, and therefore cannot have their eyes stabilized in azimuth. The change in azimuth can therefore be measured only by reference to a fixed object [_sic_], when the bird is
stationary on the ground. Over the sea it is not physically possible to measure it at all without some kind of compass. However, birds do navigate over the sea. Hence Matthews'
hypothesis as it stands is untenable”. Again in his summary: “Matthews' hypothesis … is rejected on the grounds of physical impossibility of making one of the measurements,…”. Access
through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may
be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support
SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS CELESTIAL COMPASS SENSOR MIMICS THE INSECT EYE FOR NAVIGATION UNDER CLOUDY AND OCCLUDED SKIES Article Open access 15 November 2023 PREDICTING
PERFORMANCE OF NAÏVE MIGRATORY ANIMALS, FROM MANY WRONGS TO SELF-CORRECTION Article Open access 04 October 2022 SPATIOTEMPORAL COMPUTATIONS IN THE INSECT CELESTIAL COMPASS Article Open
access 22 March 2025 REFERENCES * Pennycuick, C. J., _J. Exp. Biol._, 37, 573 (1960). Google Scholar * Matthews, G. V. T., _“Bird Navigation”_ (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1955). Google Scholar
Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Zoology, University of Liverpool, R. J. PUMPHREY Authors * R. J. PUMPHREY View author publications You can
also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE PUMPHREY, R. Sun Navigation by Birds. _Nature_ 188,
1127 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 24 December 1960 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following
link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature
SharedIt content-sharing initiative