Homing pigeon

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A messenger pigeon on a house roof Postduif.jpg
A messenger pigeon on a house roof
A group of homing pigeons in flight Homing pigeons in flight.jpg
A group of homing pigeons in flight
A modern day racing pigeon wearing an electronic timing ring A homing pigeon.jpg
A modern day racing pigeon wearing an electronic timing ring

The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practice referred to as "pigeon post". Until the introduction of telephones, they were used commercially to deliver communication; when used during wars, they were called "war pigeons".

Contents

The homing pigeon is also called a mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, and colloquially a homer. Perhaps most commonly, the homing pigeon is called a carrier pigeon; [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] this nomenclature can be confusing, though, since it is distinct from the English carrier, an ancient breed of fancy pigeon. Modern-day homing pigeons do have English carrier blood in them because they are in part descendants of the old-style carriers.[ citation needed ]

The domestic pigeon is derived from the wild rock dove (Columba livia sspp.); the rock dove has an innate homing ability, [7] meaning that it will generally return to its nest using magnetoreception. [8] Flights as long as 1,800 km (1,100 miles) have been recorded by birds in competitive homing pigeon racing; [9] birds bred for this are colloquially called racing homers. Homing pigeons' average flying speed over moderate 965 km (600 miles) distances is around 97 km/h (60 miles per hour) [10] and speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 miles per hour) have been observed in top racers for short[ clarification needed ] distances.

History

Stamp for early Pigeon-Gram Service Great Barrier Island Pigeon-Gram stamp 1899.jpg
Stamp for early Pigeon-Gram Service

Homing pigeons were potentially being used for pigeon post in Ancient Egypt by 1350 BCE. [11] Messages were tied around the legs of the pigeon, which was freed and could reach its original nest. Pliny the Elder described pigeons used in a similar fashion as military messengers around the first century CE. [12] By the 19th century homing pigeons were used extensively for military communications. [13]

The sport of flying messenger pigeons was well-established as early as 3000 years ago. [14] They were used to proclaim the winner of the Ancient Olympics. [14] [15] Messenger pigeons were used as early as 1150 in Baghdad [16] and also later by Genghis Khan. By 1167 a regular service between Baghdad and Syria had been established by Sultan Nur ad-Din. [17] In Damietta, by the mouth of the Nile, the Spanish traveller Pedro Tafur saw carrier pigeons for the first time, in 1436, though he imagined that the birds made round trips, out and back. [18] The Republic of Genoa equipped their system of watch towers in the Mediterranean Sea with pigeon posts. Tipu Sultan of Mysore (1750–1799) also used messenger pigeons; they returned to the Jamia Masjid mosque in Srirangapatna, which was his headquarters. The pigeon holes may be seen in the mosque's minarets to this day.

In 1818, a great pigeon race called the Cannonball Run took place at Brussels. [14] In 1860, Paul Reuter, who later founded Reuters press agency, used a fleet of over 45 pigeons to deliver news and stock prices between Brussels and Aachen, the terminus of early telegraph lines. The outcome of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo has often been claimed to have been delivered to London by pigeon but there is no evidence for this, and it is very unlikely; the pigeon post was rare until the 1820s. [19] During the Franco-Prussian War pigeons were used to carry mail between besieged Paris and the French unoccupied territory. In December 1870, it took ten hours for a pigeon carrying microfilms to fly from Perpignan to Brussels. [20]

Historically, pigeons carried messages only one way, to their home. They had to be transported manually before another flight. However, by placing their food at one location and their home at another location, pigeons have been trained to fly back and forth up to twice a day reliably, covering round-trip flights up to 160 km (100 mi). [21] Their reliability has lent itself to occasional use on mail routes, such as the Great Barrier Pigeongram Service established between the Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Newton and Great Barrier Island in November 1897, [22] possibly the first regular air mail service in the world. The world's first "airmail" stamps were issued for the Great Barrier Pigeon-Gram Service from 1898 to 1908. [23]

In the 19th century, newspapers sometimes used carrier pigeons. To get news from Europe quicker, some New York City newspapers used carrier pigeons. The distance from Europe to Halifax, Nova Scotia, is relatively short. So reporters stationed themselves in Halifax, wrote the information received from incoming ships, and put the messages in capsules attached to the legs of homing pigeons. The birds would then fly from Halifax to New York City where the information would be published. [24]

Homing pigeons were still employed in the 21st century by certain remote police departments in Odisha state in eastern India to provide emergency communication services following natural disasters. In March 2002, it was announced that India's Police Pigeon Service messenger system in Odisha was to be retired, due to the expanded use of the Internet. [25] The Taliban banned the keeping or use of pigeons, including racing pigeons, in Afghanistan in the late 1990s. [26]

To this day, pigeons are still entered into competitions. [27]

Research has been performed with the intention of discovering how pigeons, after being transported, can find their way back from distant places they have never visited before. Most researchers believe that homing ability is based on a "map and compass" model, with the compass feature allowing birds to orient and the map feature allowing birds to determine their location relative to a goal site (home loft). [28] While the compass mechanism appears to rely on the sun, the map mechanism has been highly debated. [29] Some researchers believe that the map mechanism relies on the ability of birds to detect the Earth's magnetic field.

A prominent theory is that the birds are able to detect a magnetic field to help them find their way home. Scientific research previously suggested that on top of a pigeon's beak a large number of iron particles are found which remain aligned to Earth's magnetic north like a natural compass, thus acting as compass which helps pigeon in determining its home. [30] However, a 2012 study disproved this theory, putting the field back on course to search for an explanation as to how animals detect magnetic fields. [30]

A light-mediated mechanism that involves the eyes and is lateralized has been examined somewhat, but developments have implicated the trigeminal nerve in magnetoreception. [31] [32] Research by Floriano Papi (Italy, early 1970s) and more recent work, largely by Hans Wallraff, suggest that pigeons also orient themselves using the spatial distribution of atmospheric odors, [29] known as olfactory navigation.

Other research indicates that homing pigeons also navigate through visual landmarks by following familiar roads and other human-made features, making 90-degree turns and following habitual routes, much the same way that humans navigate. [33]

Research by Jon Hagstrum of the US Geological Survey suggests that homing pigeons use low-frequency infrasound to navigate. [34] Sound waves as low as 0.1 Hz have been observed to disrupt or redirect pigeon navigation. The pigeon ear, being far too small to interpret such a long wave, directs pigeons to fly in a circle when first taking air, in order to mentally map such long infrasound waves.

Various experiments suggest that different breeds of homing pigeons rely on different cues to different extents. Charles Walcott at Cornell University was able to demonstrate that while pigeons from one loft were confused by a magnetic anomaly in the Earth it had no effect on birds from another loft 1.6 km (1 mile) away. Other experiments have shown that altering the perceived time of day with artificial lighting or using air conditioning to eliminate odors in the pigeons' home roost affected the pigeons' ability to return home.[ citation needed ]

GPS tracing studies indicate that gravitational anomalies may play a role as well. [35] [36]

Roles

Postal carriage

A message may be written on thin light paper, rolled into a small tube, and attached to a messenger pigeon's leg. They will only travel to one "mentally marked" point that they have identified as their home, so "pigeon post" can only work when the sender is actually holding the receiver's pigeons.

With training, pigeons can carry up to 75 g (2.5 oz) on their backs. As early as 1903, the German apothecary Julius Neubronner used carrier pigeons to both receive and deliver urgent medication. [37] In 1977, a similar system of 30 carrier pigeons was set up for the transport of laboratory specimens between two English hospitals. Every morning a basket with pigeons was taken from Plymouth General Hospital to Devonport Hospital. The birds then delivered unbreakable vials back to Plymouth as needed. [38] The carrier pigeons became unnecessary in 1983 because of the closure of one of the hospitals. [39] In the 1980s a similar system existed between two French hospitals located in Granville and Avranche. [40]

Wartime communication

A B-type bus from London converted into a pigeon loft for use in northern France and Belgium during the First World War Bus pigeon loft.jpg
A B-type bus from London converted into a pigeon loft for use in northern France and Belgium during the First World War
Dispatching of a message by carrier pigeon within the Swiss Army during World War I Abfertigen einer Meldung durch Brieftauben - CH-BAR - 3240471 - restoration.jpg
Dispatching of a message by carrier pigeon within the Swiss Army during World War I
Crewman of an RAF Bomber with homing pigeons nestled in niches as a means of emergency communications in the event of a crash, ditching, or radio failure Avro Lancaster pigeons WWII IWM TR 193.jpg
Crewman of an RAF Bomber with homing pigeons nestled in niches as a means of emergency communications in the event of a crash, ditching, or radio failure

Birds were used extensively during World War I. One homing pigeon, Cher Ami, was awarded the French Croix de guerre for his heroic service in delivering 12 important messages, despite having been very badly injured. [41]

During World War II, the Irish Paddy, the American G.I. Joe and the English Mary of Exeter all received the Dickin Medal. They were among 32 pigeons to receive this award, for their gallantry and bravery in saving human lives with their actions. Eighty-two homing pigeons were dropped into the Netherlands with the First Airborne Division Signals as part of Operation Market Garden in World War II. The pigeons' loft was located in London, which would have required them to fly 390 km (240 miles) to deliver their messages. [42] Also in World War II, hundreds of homing pigeons with the Confidential Pigeon Service were airdropped into northwest Europe to serve as intelligence vectors for local resistance agents. Birds played a vital part in the Invasion of Normandy as radios could not be used for fear of vital information being intercepted by the enemy.

During the Second World War, the use of pigeons for sending messages was highlighted in Britain by the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as Girl Guides joining other Guides sending messages to the World Chief Guide in 1943, as part of a campaign to raise money for homing pigeons. [43] [44] [45] [46]

Computing

The humorous IP over Avian Carriers (RFC 1149) is an Internet protocol for the transmission of messages via homing pigeon. Originally intended as an April Fools' Day RFC entry, this protocol was implemented and used, once, to transmit a message in Bergen, Norway, on 28 April 2001. [47]

In September 2009, a South African IT company based in Durban pitted an 11-month-old bird armed with a data packed 4 GB memory stick against the ADSL service from the country's biggest Internet service provider, Telkom. The pigeon, Winston, took an hour and eight minutes to carry the data 80 km (50 miles). In all, the data transfer took two hours, six minutes, and fifty-seven seconds—the same amount of time it took to transfer 4% of the data over the ADSL. [48] [49]

Smuggling

Homing pigeons have been reported to be used as a smuggling technique, getting objects and narcotics across borders and into prisons. [50] For instance, between 2009 and 2015, pigeons have been reported to carry contraband items such as mobile phones, SIM cards, phone batteries and USB cords into prisons in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. [51] [52] There have also been cases where homing pigeons were used to transport drugs into prisons. [53]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cher Ami</span> Homing pigeon used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps

Cher Ami was a male homing pigeon known for his military service during World War I, especially the Meuse-Argonne offensive in October 1918. He is famous for delivering a message alerting American forces to the location of the Lost Battalion, despite sustaining severe injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigeon racing</span> Competition sport in which trained pigeons have to fly home as fast as possible

Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel is calculated and compared with all of the other pigeons in the race to determine which animal returned at the highest speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War pigeon</span> Homing pigeons in military service

Homing pigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers. Carrier pigeons of the Racing Homer breed were used to carry messages in World War I and World War II, and 32 such pigeons were presented with the Dickin Medal. Medals such as the Croix de Guerre, awarded to Cher Ami, and the Dickin Medal awarded to the pigeons G.I. Joe and Paddy, amongst 32 others, have been awarded to pigeons for their services in saving human lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G.I. Joe (pigeon)</span> US Army homing pigeon in WWII

G.I. Joe was a pigeon noted for his service in the United States Army Pigeon Service. The bird was one of the homing pigeons used during World War II for communication and reconnaissance purposes. G.I. Joe had the name tag Pigeon USA43SC6390. He was hatched in March 1943, in Algiers, North Africa and underwent a training for two-way homing pigeons perfected at Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnetoreception</span> Biological ability to perceive magnetic fields

Magnetoreception is a sense which allows an organism to detect the Earth's magnetic field. Animals with this sense include some arthropods, molluscs, and vertebrates. The sense is mainly used for orientation and navigation, but it may help some animals to form regional maps. Experiments on migratory birds provide evidence that they make use of a cryptochrome protein in the eye, relying on the quantum radical pair mechanism to perceive magnetic fields. This effect is extremely sensitive to weak magnetic fields, and readily disturbed by radio-frequency interference, unlike a conventional iron compass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigeon post</span> Use of homing pigeons to carry messages

Pigeon post is the use of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons are effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons are transported to a destination in cages, where they are attached with messages, then the pigeon naturally flies back to its home where the recipient could read the message. They have been used in many places around the world. Pigeons have also been used to great effect in military situations, and are in this case referred to as war pigeons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic pigeon</span> Small domesticated bird

The domestic pigeon is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove or rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics. Pigeons were most likely domesticated in the Mediterranean at least 2000–5000 years ago, and may have been domesticated earlier as a food source. Research suggests that domestication of pigeons occurred as early as 10,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mail delivery by animal</span> Form of mail delivery

Mail delivery by animals has been used in many countries throughout history. It used to be the only way to quickly transport large bundles of letters over long distances, until motorised vehicles became more widespread. Mail is still delivered by animals in a few remote locations that lack vehicular road access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Pigeon Service</span> US Army homing pigeon unit

The United States Army Pigeon Service was a unit of the United States Army during World War I and World War II. Their assignment was the training and usage of homing pigeons for communication and reconnaissance purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release dove</span> Dove bred for release at an event

A release dove is usually a small white domestic rock dove used for events such as public ceremonies, weddings and funerals. They typically have a symbolic meaning for the event.

Magnetobiology is the study of biological effects of mainly weak static and low-frequency magnetic fields, which do not cause heating of tissues. Magnetobiological effects have unique features that obviously distinguish them from thermal effects; often they are observed for alternating magnetic fields just in separate frequency and amplitude intervals. Also, they are dependent of simultaneously present static magnetic or electric fields and their polarization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commando (pigeon)</span> Pigeon receiver of the Dickin Medal

Commando was a pigeon used in service with the British armed forces during the Second World War to carry crucial intelligence. The pigeon carried out more than ninety missions during the war, and received the Dickin Medal for three particularly notable missions in 1945. The medal was later sold at an auction for £9,200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigeon photography</span> Aerial photography by pigeons

Pigeon photography is an aerial photography technique invented in 1907 by the German apothecary Julius Neubronner, who also used pigeons to deliver medications. A homing pigeon was fitted with an aluminium breast harness to which a lightweight time-delayed miniature camera could be attached. Neubronner's German patent application was initially rejected, but was granted in December 1908 after he produced authenticated photographs taken by his pigeons. He publicized the technique at the 1909 Dresden International Photographic Exhibition, and sold some images as postcards at the Frankfurt International Aviation Exhibition and at the 1910 and 1911 Paris Air Shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactory navigation</span>

Olfactory navigation is a hypothesis that proposes the usage of the sense of smell by pigeons, in particular the mail pigeon, in navigation and homing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Blue (pigeon)</span>

Royal Blue, also known as NURP.40.GVIS.453, was a male pigeon of the RAF pigeon service. He was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in March 1945 for being the first pigeon to deliver a message from an allied forced landed aircraft from the European mainland during World War II. He had originally been housed at the Royal Lofts at Sandringham, and was owned by King George VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal navigation</span> Ability of many animals to find their way accurately without maps or instruments

Animal navigation is the ability of many animals to find their way accurately without maps or instruments. Birds such as the Arctic tern, insects such as the monarch butterfly and fish such as the salmon regularly migrate thousands of miles to and from their breeding grounds, and many other species navigate effectively over shorter distances.

Tyke, also known as 'George' and carrying the service number 1263 MEPS 43, was a male Second World War homing pigeon who was awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry in 1943 for delivering a message from a downed aircrew. His medal was sold for £4,830 ($7,313) in July 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigeoneer (United States Navy)</span>

Pigeoneer, or Pigeon Trainer was a rating in the United States Navy which emerged in the early twentieth century. Pigeoneers were charged with training pigeons to carry messages, as well as feeding and caring for the pigeons. The rating's necessity diminished with the emergence of radio communication; however, the rating remained in the United States Navy until 1961 to provide an emergency communication system. The rating was designated as a Specialist X

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Vaillant</span> French pigeon awarded a Legion of Honour

Le Vaillant was a pigeon used by the French Army in the First World War. The bird was the last held at Fort Vaux before it was overrun in the Battle of Verdun. Le Vaillant carried a message from the fort's commander Sylvain Reynal to his senior officers requesting reinforcements but was mortally wounded in flight. The bird was posthumously appointed to the Legion of Honour and is commemorated by a plaque at the fort.

References

  1. ↑ "carrier pigeon". Merriam-Webster. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024. a pigeon used to carry messages, especially: homing pigeon
  2. ↑ "carrier pigeon". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2024. A homing pigeon, especially one trained to carry messages.
  3. ↑ "carrier pigeon". Collins English Dictionary. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024. any homing pigeon, esp one used for carrying messages
  4. ↑ "carrier pigeon". Webster's New World College Dictionary. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2024. a homing pigeon trained to carry messages
  5. ↑ "carrier pigeon". Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. Oxford: Oxford University press. 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024. a pigeon that has been trained to carry messages
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  7. ↑ Blechman, Andrew (2007). Pigeons-The fascinating saga of the world's most revered and reviled bird. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press. ISBN   978-0-7022-3641-9. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008.
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  18. ↑ "I saw there for the first time carrier pigeons, which take letters in their tail-feathers. They carry them from the place where they are bred to other places, and when the letters are detached they are set free and return to their homes. By this means the inhabitants have speedy news of all who come and go by sea or land." (Pedro Tafur, Andanças e viajes ).
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  42. ↑ Cornelius Ryan – A Bridge Too Far
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  46. ↑ The newspaper caption reads : 1943 – The flight of the County Pigeon "Over 100 Guides and Brownies with their Guiders and Commissioners came to Shrewsbury Castle to watch the County Commissioner release the Carrier Pigeons flying the County's message of greeting to the Chief Guide in London. Those present included the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Mrs Rotton and Mrs Windsor County Commissioner for Merrionethshire who also released two pigeons with her County's message of greeting." Our message said: THROUGHOUT THE HILLS AND VALLEYS OF SHROPSHIRE THE GUIDE LAWS ARE CHERISHED AND THE GUIDES CONTINUE STEADFAST AND "PREPARED". MAY WE KEEP THE GUIDE FLAME BURNING BRIGHTLY ALL OVER THE WORLD WHEN PEACE RETURNS." from an album, with no reference - can you find it?
  47. ↑ "RFC-1149". BLUG. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011.
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  51. ↑ "Pombo que levava celular para presos é capturado no interior de SP" [Pigeon carrying cell phones to prisoners is captured in the interior of SP]. G1 (in Portuguese). 28 April 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  52. ↑ "Pombo com celular é encontrado em penitenciária na Zona Sul de SP" [Pigeon with cell phone found in prison in the South Zone of SP]. G1 (in Portuguese). 4 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  53. ↑ "Pigeon 'caught with backpack of drugs'". BBC News . 25 May 2017.

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