What term refers to an animal's ability to return home from unfamiliar territory?

The term that refers to an animal's ability to return home from unfamiliar territory is "homing." This concept involves the innate or learned ability of certain animals to find their way back to their particular home range or nesting site after being displaced. Homing behaviors can be observed in various species, such as birds, turtles, and even certain mammals, where they use a combination of environmental cues, celestial navigation, and sometimes even the Earth's magnetic field to guide them back.

While navigation, migration, and orientation are related concepts in the study of animal behavior, they do not specifically denote the ability to return home from an unfamiliar location. Navigation generally refers to the overall process of determining direction and route, migration indicates a seasonal movement from one region to another, and orientation pertains to the ability to maintain a specific direction or course. Homing distinctly emphasizes the return to a specific home location, making it the most accurate choice in this context.