Homing (biology)

Homing is the inherent ability of an animal to navigate back to an original location, such as a home territory or breeding site, after traveling through or being displaced into unfamiliar terrain. It is well documented in homing pigeons, which have been selectively bred for the trait over centuries, in salmon that return to their natal spawning grounds years after leaving them, and in sea turtles and various newts and salamanders that find their way back to familiar sites. Animals achieve this navigation through a combination of mechanisms, including recognition of visual landmarks, orientation to Earth's magnetic field, celestial navigation by the stars, and, in species such as salmon, guidance by smell. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/