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21 astonishing facts about pigeons

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Tabular array of Contents

• 1. How old are pigeons?
• ii. Biblical reference
• 3. Pigeon guano – foul or fantastic?
• iv. The pigeon as a state of war hero
• v. The pigeon every bit a messenger
• 6. The religious significance of the pigeon
• 7. Famous pigeons
• viii. 'Rock dove' or 'pigeon'?
• 9. Why do pigeons bob their heads?
• 10. Pigeon-gram Air Mail service service
• 11. Pigeons in Wall Street
• 12. Mating habits of the pigeon
• 13. Pigeons are big business
• 14. How do pigeons navigate?
• 15. Famous people and pigeons
• xvi. Pigeon disasters
• 17. Pigeons as lifesavers
• eighteen. Pigeons in the news
• nineteen. Why practise you never encounter a baby pigeon?
• 20. What is the natural predator of the pigeon?
• 21. Are pigeons intelligent?

1. How old are pigeons?

Pigeons take lived alongside homo for thousands of years with the outset images of pigeons being found by archaeologists in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and dating back to 3000BC.

Urban flock of pigeons

It was the Sumerians in Mesopotamia that showtime started to brood white doves from the wild pigeon that we see in our towns and cities today and this undoubtedly accounts, certainly in part, for the amazing multifariousness of colours that are normally found in the average flock of urban pigeons.

To aboriginal peoples a white pigeon would accept seemed miraculous and this explains why the bird was widely worshipped and considered to be sacred. Throughout human history the dove has adopted many roles ranging from symbols of gods and goddesses through to sacrificial victims, messengers, pets, food and fifty-fifty state of war heroes!

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2. Biblical reference

The first biblical reference to the pigeon (or dove) was in the Old Testament of the Bible in the showtime millennium AC and was the story of Noah and the dove of peace. Later, in the New Attestation, the pigeon was beginning mentioned during the baptism of Christ where the dove descended every bit the Holy Spirit, an epitome now used extensively in Christian art. These early biblical references take paved the way for the many dissimilar ways that the urban pigeon is viewed in modern societies worldwide. Perception of the dove through the centuries has changed from God to devil and from hero to zilch!

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3. Dove guano – foul or fantastic?

Although dove guano is seen as a major problem for belongings owners in the 21st century, it was considered to exist an invaluable resource in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. Pigeon guano was a highly prized fertiliser and considered to be far more than potent than farmyard manure. So prized, in fact, that armed guards were stationed at the entrances to dovecotes (pigeon houses) to terminate thieves stealing information technology! Non only this, only in England in the 16th century pigeon guano was the only known source of saltpetre, an essential ingredient of gunpowder and considered to be a highly valued commodity equally a consequence. In Iran, where eating pigeon flesh was forbidden, dovecotes were set up and used simply equally a source of fertilizer for melon crops. In France and Italy it was used to fertilize vineyards and hemp crops.

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4. The pigeon as a state of war hero

In modern times the pigeon has been used to great issue during wartime. In both the Outset and 2d World Wars the dove saved hundreds of thousands of man lives by carrying messages across enemy lines. Pigeons were carried on ships in convoys and in the event of a U-gunkhole assail a messenger pigeon was released with details of the location of the sinking ship. In many cases this led to survivors being rescued and lives saved. In the Commencement World War mobile pigeon lofts were prepare behind the trenches from which pigeons oft had to wing through enemy fire and poisonous substance gas to get their messages home. The birds besides played a vital office in intelligence gathering and were used extensively behind enemy lines where the survival rate was only ten%. In the Second World War pigeons were used less due to advances in telecommunication, but the birds still relayed invaluable information back to the allies well-nigh the German V1 and V2 Rocket sites on the other side of the English language Channel.

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5. The dove as a messenger

The earliest large-scale advice network using pigeons equally messengers was established in Syria and Persia effectually the 5th century BC. Much later, in the twelfth century Advertizement, the metropolis of Baghdad and all the main towns and cities in Syria and Arab republic of egypt were linked by messages carried by pigeons. This was the sole source of advice. In Roman times the pigeon was used to behave results of sporting events, such every bit the Olympic Games, and this is why white doves are released at the start of the Olympic Games today. In England, prior to the days of telegraphs, pigeons were oftentimes taken to football matches and released to carry home the outcome of the game. Their employ every bit a messenger in wartime resulted in many pigeons being awarded honours by both the British and French Governments. Incredibly, the last 'pigeon mail service' service was abandoned in Republic of india in 2004 with the birds being retired to live out the rest of their days in peace.
http://www.indiaprofile.com/faith-culture/gujarat-culture.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Pigeon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon

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vi. The religious significance of the pigeon

Guru Gobind Singh

Many religious groups, including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, feed pigeons for religious reasons. Many older Sikhs feed pigeons ceremoniously to award the high priest and warrior Guru Gobind Singh who was a known friend of the pigeon (or rock dove). Some Sikhs feed pigeons because they believe that when they are reincarnated they will never go hungry if they accept fed pigeons in their previous life.

Other religious groups in India believe that when a person dies his or her soul assumes the form of a bird (normally a pigeon) and therefore by feeding pigeons and other birds they are caring for the souls of their departed ancestors.

Monk Feeding Pigeons

The dove is revered in Bharat with huge flocks numbering many thousands of birds beingness fed daily at Hindu temples in town and urban center centres throughout the country.

In both eastern and western societies many of the most entrenched dove-related problems in urban areas are considered to be acquired, certainly in office, past religious feeding of pigeons.

In the Christian faith the dove is both a symbol of peace and of the Holy Spirit.

Sources:

http://world wide web.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/gujarat-culture.htm

www.tailsofbirding.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html

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7. Famous pigeons

Cher Ami -
Globe War I Hero

During the First World War a pigeon named Cher Ami (dear friend) saved the lives of many French soldiers by carrying a bulletin across enemy lines in the rut of battle. Cher Ami was shot in the chest and the leg, losing most of the leg to which the bulletin was fastened, but continued the 25-minute flight fugitive shrapnel and toxicant gas to go the bulletin domicile. Cher Ami was awarded the French 'Croix de Guerre' medal for heroic service.

President Wilson -
Earth War I Hero

GI Joe -
World War Two hero

Some other heroic dove named 1000.I. Joe saved the lives of a g soldiers in World War 2 later British troops had established a position inside an Italian town that was due to be bombed past allied planes. Communication equipment was down and the only ways of stopping the raid was to adhere a hastily written message to G.I. Joe and send him to the centrolineal HQ. G.I. Joe flew twenty miles in 20 minutes arriving at the air base of operations whilst the planes were taxiing on the rail. Disaster was averted with 5 minutes to spare. Chiliad.I. Joe received the 'Dickin' medal for his bravery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Pigeon#Feral_pigeons_in_cities

http://pigeonexpresso.com/famous-pigeons.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickin_Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croix_de_guerre

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8. 'Rock dove' or 'pigeon'?

The feral dove that we see in our towns and cities today is descended from the stone dove (Columba livia), a cliff-home bird historically found in littoral regions. The discussion 'pigeon' is actually derived from the Latin word 'pipio', which ways 'young bird'. The give-and-take then passed into Erstwhile French as 'pijon' and thus the English name 'pigeon' was derived, which is now used the world over as a common name for the rock pigeon. Other common names include 'domestic pigeon' and the 'feral dove'.

In 2004 British and American ornithologists officially re-named the bird the 'rock pigeon'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Pigeon

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9. Why practice pigeons bob their heads?

Pigeons feeding

The dove has side-mounted eyes, unlike humans and owls which accept forwards facing eyes. Every bit pigeons take monocular vision rather than binocular vision they bob their heads for depth of perception. The dove's optics function much ameliorate with stationary images and therefore equally the pigeon takes a step forrad the head is temporarily left behind. The next step jerks the head forward once more and then on. This allows the bird to correctly orient itself.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_016.html

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10. Pigeon-gram Air Postal service

Illustration 1: Map of Pigeon Airmail Route

The first organised dove airmail service was started in 1896 between New Zealand and the Bully Barrier Island. The sinking of the SS Wairarapa off the Great Barrier Island, with the loss of 134 lives, was a goad for the service. News of the disaster did not reach New Zealand for 3-days and as a direct outcome a pigeon-gram service was set upwards between the two islands.

Dove-Gram Stamp

The first message was carried in January 1896 and took less than i.75 hours to reach Auckland. Up to five messages were carried by each pigeon with the record fourth dimension for the journey being held by a dove called 'Velocity' taking only 50 minutes and averaging 125 kmph (but 40% slower than a modern aircraft!).

Special pigeon-gram stamps were issued costing two/- (10 pence) each with the fee beingness paid in greenbacks before the dove was released.

www.tepapa.govt.nz/wings/pigeons3.htm

www.homepages.paradise.cyberspace.nz/wclark/page1.htm

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11. Pigeons in Wall Street

Medals Commemorating the Arrival of the Pigeon Post in Paris 1870

One of the richest and most famous families in the world amassed its wealth, certainly in function, as a effect of exploiting the pigeon. In the early 1800s the Rothschild family set upwardly a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe and used homing pigeons to carry data between its financial houses. This method proved to be quicker and more efficient than any other ways of communication available at the fourth dimension. The speed of the service and the ability to send and receive information ahead of the competition helped the Rothschild family amass a fortune, which nonetheless exists today.

http://pigeonexpresso.com/famous-pigeons.html

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12. Mating habits of the pigeon

Dove Squab and
Egg in Nest

The dove mates for life and can brood up to eight times a year in optimum conditions, bringing ii immature into the world each fourth dimension. The frequency of breeding is dictated by the abundance of food. Dove eggs have 18/19 days to hatch with both parents incubating the eggs. Immature dependant pigeons are unremarkably known equally 'squabs'.

Pigeon Nest
with 2 Eggs

Both parents feed the young with a special 'dove milk' that is regurgitated and fed to the squabs. Each squab tin double its nascency weight in 1 24-hour interval but information technology takes three days before the heart starts chirapsia and 4 days for the eyes to open.

Pigeon Squab -
3 Days Old

When squabs are hungry they 'squeak' whilst flapping their wings and as a result they are also normally known every bit 'squeakers'.

Pigeon Squabs -
x Days Quondam

At approximately 2 months of age the young are ready to fledge and get out the nest. This longer-than-average time spent in the nest ensures that the life expectancy of a juvenile pigeon is far greater than that of other fledglings.

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thirteen. Pigeons are big concern

Champion Racing
Dove

We unremarkably recall of the pigeon equally being an unwelcome guest in our towns and cities, just almost of united states are unaware that racing pigeons tin be worth huge sums of money. One racing pigeon recently sold for a staggering $132,517.00! The three-year erstwhile bird was a champion racer, beating 21,000 other pigeons in 1 long distance race. For this reason he was bought past a British company that breeds racing pigeons for 'stud'. 1 very happy pigeon! The previous tape price for a racing dove was $73, 800.00.

http://www.pigeonclubsusa.com/faircount_facts_info_pigeonfacts.htm

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xiv. How do pigeons navigate?

There are many theories about how pigeons manage to return 'home' when released 100s of miles from their loft. A champion racing pigeon tin can exist released 400-600 miles away from its domicile and still return within the day. This amazing feat does not merely apply to 'racing' or 'homing' pigeons; all pigeons have the ability to render to their roost. A 10-twelvemonth report carried out by Oxford Academy concluded that pigeons apply roads and motorways to navigate, in some cases even changing management at motorway junctions. Other theories include navigation past utilize of the globe'southward magnetic field, visual clues such as landmarks, the sun and even infrasounds (low frequency seismic waves). Whatever the truth, this unique ability makes the pigeon a very special bird.

http://news.bbc.co.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland/2/hi/uk_news/3460977.stm

http://solar-eye.stanford.edu/solar-weather/pigeons.html

http://www.txtwriter.com/onscience/Manufactures/pigeons.html

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xv. Famous people and pigeons

Noah with the
Pigeon of Peace

The humble pigeon has attracted some very famous fans over the last few yard years ranging from royalty to rock and roll singers and actors through to fashion designers. One of the about famous royals is Queen Elizabeth of England who has lofts and dove keepers at her manor in Sandringham, Norfolk.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley had a soft spot for pigeons and Mike Tyson is too an enthusiastic dove keeper.

Mike Tyson

Even Maurizzo Gucci, the internationally renowned fashion designer, is a groovy pigeon fancier spending a reputed $ten,000 on one American pigeon. One famous couple, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, are reputedly both keen pigeon fanciers, but after beingness swamped by shorthand hunters at a pigeon show they are apparently less comfy to show their affection for the birds publicly. Last but non to the lowest degree, and probably the almost famous of all ... Noah!

http://pigeonracing.homestead.com/FAMOUS_Pigeon_Keepers.html

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sixteen. Pigeon disasters

Passenger Dove

Probably the greatest disaster to befall the species was the extermination of the passenger pigeon in North America in the early on office of the 20th century. It is estimated that there were 3-five billion passenger pigeons in North America at the fourth dimension. Flocks of 100,000s of the birds would blacken the skies as they flew over, but early settlers managed to wipe out every last bird by 1914 through over-hunting.

Passenger Pigeon

Not bad Pigeon Race 1997

A more recent and quite bizarre disaster befell tens of thousands of racing pigeons released from Nantes in France as office of a race held to celebrate the centenary of the Regal Pigeon Racing Association in England. 60,000 pigeons were released but only a few birds ever arrived back at their lofts throughout southern England.

One theory suggests that the sonic boom created past Concorde as it flew over the English language Channel, at the precise time the pigeons would have been at the same point, completely disorientated the birds, throwing out their inbuilt navigation arrangement.

http://www.txtwriter.com/onscience/Articles/pigeons.html

http://pigeonexpresso.com/famous-pigeons.html

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17. Pigeons equally lifesavers

Although the dove is one of the most intelligent of all the bird species, man has found limited uses for the birds other than for the purposes of sport, food and as a message carrier. A team of navy researchers, however, has constitute that pigeons can be trained to relieve human lives at sea with high success rates. Project Body of water Hunt has trained a number of pigeons to place red or yellow life jackets when floating in the water.

Lifesaving Crew

The pigeons were non just institute to be more than reliable than humans, but they were as well many times quicker when it came to spotting survivors from a capsized or sinking boat. The pigeon tin can encounter colour in the same way that humans practice but they can also see ultra-violet, a office of the spectrum that humans cannot see, and this is 1 of the reasons they are so well adapted to lifesaving.

http://www.pigeonclubsusa.com/faircount_facts_info_pigeonfacts.htm

Project PigeonWatch from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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18. Pigeons in the news

Reuters, News Bureau

One of the world's almost famous news agencies, Reuters, started its European business organization by using trained homing pigeons. The service was started in 1850 with 45 pigeons carrying the latest news and stock prices from Aachen in Frg to Brussels in Belgium. Although a telegraph service between the two countries existed, numerous gaps in the transmission lines made communication difficult and wearisome. The birds travelled the 76 miles in a record-breaking ii hours, chirapsia the railway by four hours.

http://pigeonexpresso.com/famous-pigeons.html

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nineteen. Why do you never meet a baby pigeon?

Juvenile Pigeons

Near small birds rear and fledge their young in 2/3 weeks with young birds sometimes leaving the nest after only 10 days of life, but pigeons are different; their immature remain in the nest for up to ii months before fledging.

Juvenile Pigeon
& Mother

This gives the young pigeon a singled-out reward over many other species of bird due to the fact that it leaves the nest every bit a relatively mature juvenile, allowing the bird to cope amend in the first few days of its life, a dangerous time for all youngsters.

Juvenile Pigeons
in Nest

Juveniles can exist told apart from adults but it takes an experienced eye. A juvenile's pecker often appears to exist far too long for the size of its trunk and the cere (the fleshy area at the elevation of the pecker) is white in adults and greyish pinkish in juveniles.

Projection PigeonWatch from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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20. What is the natural predator of the pigeon?

Peregrine Falcon

Although the natural enemy of the feral pigeon is now human being, with millions of pigeons being killed in control operations the globe over, information technology is the peregrine falcon that is the pigeons' existent natural predator. Although a shy and retiring bird that has its natural habitat along rocky coastlines, the peregrine is at present beingness introduced into towns and cities equally a 'natural' pigeon control. The peregrine is the fastest bird on the planet when in a swoop and tin reach speeds in excess of 200 mph, over 130 mph faster than a pigeon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_Falcon

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21. Are pigeons intelligent?

Pigeons are considered to be one of the nigh intelligent birds on the planet and able to undertake tasks previously thought to be the sole preserve of humans and primates. The pigeon has also been found to laissez passer the 'mirror test' (being able to recognise its reflection in a mirror) and is 1 of only half dozen species, and the simply non-mammal, that has this ability. The dove can also recognise all 26 messages of the English language as well as being able to conceptualise. In scientific tests pigeons take been found to exist able to differentiate betwixt photographs and even differentiate betwixt two different homo beings in a photo when rewarded with food for doing and then.

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/UWS/GeeWhizQuizAnswers.htm

http://world wide web.acm.org/ubiquity/views/v6i42_kak.html

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voganagrecirt.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/html/amazing-pigeon-facts.html

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