These must be learned from older birds. When visibillity is poor, waterfowl often overshoot their target, must back-track. Waterfowl and other birds known to be able to navigate between cloud layers at night. This may help bird sense earths rotation. Homing pigeons can detect low frequency sound from wind moving over mountains or sound of surf 1000 or more miles away.
Sense of smell is very acute.
Experiments with varying directions of smell can affect pigeon homing ability. Albatross translocations 2. Habitat destruction has long term effects.