I typed this up last week to give out at a local event, in an attempt to promote the pigeon hobby. If you enjoy raising pigeons as I do, I incourage you to copy/paste and print this out, and give them out as well...to people you know (may help them understand our craziness, haha
), or you could post them on bulletin boards and whatnot. The sad truth is, while there are millions of pigeons fanciers worldwide, the majority of those people are getting up there in age. My goal is to get more young people into the hobby. It can do a lot of good for kids, teach them responsibility, help them stay close to nature (in some places, pigeons may be the only tie to nature they have available
), and may keep a good head screwed on their shoulders, so they don't go out and do bad immature things.
So here's the info sheet I made. Feel free to use it (but please, if you use it, give me credit for making it!
)
More Than Meets The Eye
Things You May Not Have Known About Pigeons!
As you walk along the streets of a nearby city, you may see several grey-bodied birds scurrying around in search of abandoned fries or popcorn. To many, pigeons are nothing more than an every day prop in the city scheme. To others, they are pests - Rats with wings that carry 40 or so different diseases, who take over the city with their damaging droppings and put us in danger of catching horrible sicknesses. But amongst these pessimists, youll find hundreds, thousands, millions of people worldwide, who see these birds as beautiful creatures, with a wider variation of domestic breeds than that of any other. They may come from all different walks of life, and be complete opposites, but they do share one thing in common - their love for pigeons and the hobby of raising them. Like them, I am also a pigeon fancier. Also like them, I know the truth about pigeons. I know what is myth and fact, and since the age of 9, I have felt the great need to better educate the public about pigeons. From pigeon racing to showing, to keeping them for backyard pets, youre missing a whole world of fun, exciting, and neat things and you dont even know it! So heres some things you might not have known before about pigeons.
- The word pigeon is the common name for the bird, Rock Dove.
Rock Doves are native to the rocky sea cliffs of Europe, where vast agricultural or wild fields can be found nearby.
Pigeons were brought to the U.S.; they were not naturally found here. Because of this, they are not protected under federal bird laws and therefore feral pigeons can be kept for rehab or pets. This also means there are no pure wild Rock Doves in America. What you find in cities and towns, are the result of domesticated birds that escaped from their owners, and bred in the wild.
- Pigeons are very adaptable birds! If people live there, pigeons can usually be found there too. They can adapt to the heat of the equator, and the cold of Canada, Alaska, and Northern Europe.
- There are over 250 different recognized breeds of domestic pigeons. All of which, derived from the common ancestor, the Rock Dove.
- There are many different games and competitions pigeons can compete in. For Homing pigeons, there is pigeon racing. For all breeds, there is showing. For Rollers, there are competitions to see whos kit (flock) of birds perform the best in the air. In New York, there is a game commonly played there with a breed called Domestic Flights. They are extremely social birds and fly in a flock high in the air for long periods of time. The object of the game is to lure others birds into your flock. New birds gained can then be sold or traded back, or kept. Parlor Rollers, who execute several backflips on the ground at once, can also be recorded for sport. Breeders try to get birds who roll across the ground the longest distance in one round of flips.
- It has been recorded that pigeons have been domesticated by man since at least 3,000 B.C., making them mans oldest feathered friends.
- Pigeons have served many vital roles during their domesticated. Once the homing ability of the birds was discovered, they have been used to carry messages of victories and great historic achievements, as well as served in wars over time as message carriers. Also, pigeons were once trained to spot the orange lifejackets of people lost at sea, and peck at a small device strapped to their chest when one was spotted. The experiment worked, but was never put to use in serious situations.
- Pigeons have great senses. They can see in more detailed color than we can, at farther distances, and can see UV light as well. They can also hear very well, being able to detect a larger range of frequencies. Pigeons can hear the wind moving through the mountains, many miles away. It has also been found that they can smell quite well. Not so much for finding food, like other animals may, but well enough that they can use familiar smells to help guide themselves home.
- Scientists are still unclear on just how homing pigeons know how to get home. Through many different studies, they have come up with a few proven theories. Using GPS tracking, they have found pigeons do have a tendacy to follow familiar landmarks such as major roads and highways, ridges, tree lines, and rivers. Pigeons are not migratory birds, but those that are use the sun as a compass when they travel from North to South each year. Scientists think pigeons may also use the position of the sun. Another theory they have, is that pigeons can sense the Earths magnetic field. Scientists have found the birds to contain tiny magnetic chips near the birds beak. Those chips are what allow them to sense the lines in the field. Through an experiment where they disabled the chips, sight (with contacts), and smell on different flocks of birds, they found each of their theories to be correct. Without the magnetic chips, many birds were lost. Without smell, birds were lost as well. But without being able to see, the majority of the birds returned home, landing just feet from the loft. Some even landed on the roof, close to the loft entrance. That showed they dont have to rely on sight of landmarks to find home. So if you put all of that together, the birds have many tricks to knowing where to go. They use ALL of their senses to their advantage. Different pigeons probably use some more than others, depending on the situation.
- Homing pigeons can find their way home over hundreds of miles of land theyve never seen before. In Old Bird racing, pigeons at one year of age and older, are often released at distances up to 600 miles. The better birds may be home by nightfall, and the others are home by the next morning. There have been races held up to 1,200 miles before, in which birds have returned home. 1,000 mile races are rare now. Most races are 100-600 miles, with occasional 700 and 800 mile races in some states and countries.
- Adult homing pigeons are the fastest birds in level flight, on the planet. They can get up to 60-80 mph with no help from the wind. They have been recorded to fly at speeds of 100 mph.
Pigeons mate for life. Once they have found a mate, they stay with that same bird until death. However, they are practical birds. If their mate becomes lost, they will search for a new one to continue reproducing.
- Pigeons are very loving birds. They form very strong bonds with their mates and owners. When a lifelong mate dies, the remaining bird will often mourn instead of finding a new mate. They may also mourn over the loss of their owner, even to the point of starving themselves.
- Scientists have found pigeons to be as smart as a 4 year old human child. May not sound impressive to us, but you have to consider how intelligent humans are in general, at any age. Scientists have conducted many, many studies on pigeons and their intelligence. The birds are great problem solvers, and can identify familiar faces and objects, even when parts of them are covered. They can also remember up to 1,200 different images for long periods of time, even years. They are quick to figure out of objects are real or inanimate, and they are one of the only 9 species in the world known to pass the mirror test. Most animals will respond to their reflection as if it were another animal, but pigeons can tell it is them they are looking at.
- Along with there being many breeds of pigeons, there are also many colors. Theres over 27 different color morphs found in pigeons. There are several colors and shades, and patterns. Some of the most common colors are blue (what we see as gray), red (what we see as a rust color), and brown. The most common patterns or markings are bar, check, grizzle, piebald (also called splash), and spread (makes the bird a solid color, such as black).
- In WWII, homing pigeons were used to carry vital messages back to headquarters. Hundreds of lives were saved by these birds. One pigeon in particular, by the name of G.I. Joe, flew back at 60 mph and delivered a message just minutes before we would have mistakenly killed hundreds of our own soldiers in friendly fire. After the war was over, the animals who served were awarded with the Dickens Medal, equivalent of the Victorian Cross for the animal world. Of the 54 animals awarded, 32 went to homing pigeons, 18 to dogs, 3 to horses, and one to a cat.
These are just a few interesting facts I thought I would share. Of course, there are many, many more things I could tell you about these incredible birds, but Im sure youd tire of reading it all! If you would like to know more, or if you have any questions or comments concerning pigeons or doves, please feel free to ask. Im always glad to help in any way that I can!
Becky M.
[email protected]
So here's the info sheet I made. Feel free to use it (but please, if you use it, give me credit for making it!
More Than Meets The Eye
Things You May Not Have Known About Pigeons!
As you walk along the streets of a nearby city, you may see several grey-bodied birds scurrying around in search of abandoned fries or popcorn. To many, pigeons are nothing more than an every day prop in the city scheme. To others, they are pests - Rats with wings that carry 40 or so different diseases, who take over the city with their damaging droppings and put us in danger of catching horrible sicknesses. But amongst these pessimists, youll find hundreds, thousands, millions of people worldwide, who see these birds as beautiful creatures, with a wider variation of domestic breeds than that of any other. They may come from all different walks of life, and be complete opposites, but they do share one thing in common - their love for pigeons and the hobby of raising them. Like them, I am also a pigeon fancier. Also like them, I know the truth about pigeons. I know what is myth and fact, and since the age of 9, I have felt the great need to better educate the public about pigeons. From pigeon racing to showing, to keeping them for backyard pets, youre missing a whole world of fun, exciting, and neat things and you dont even know it! So heres some things you might not have known before about pigeons.
- The word pigeon is the common name for the bird, Rock Dove.
Rock Doves are native to the rocky sea cliffs of Europe, where vast agricultural or wild fields can be found nearby.
Pigeons were brought to the U.S.; they were not naturally found here. Because of this, they are not protected under federal bird laws and therefore feral pigeons can be kept for rehab or pets. This also means there are no pure wild Rock Doves in America. What you find in cities and towns, are the result of domesticated birds that escaped from their owners, and bred in the wild.
- Pigeons are very adaptable birds! If people live there, pigeons can usually be found there too. They can adapt to the heat of the equator, and the cold of Canada, Alaska, and Northern Europe.
- There are over 250 different recognized breeds of domestic pigeons. All of which, derived from the common ancestor, the Rock Dove.
- There are many different games and competitions pigeons can compete in. For Homing pigeons, there is pigeon racing. For all breeds, there is showing. For Rollers, there are competitions to see whos kit (flock) of birds perform the best in the air. In New York, there is a game commonly played there with a breed called Domestic Flights. They are extremely social birds and fly in a flock high in the air for long periods of time. The object of the game is to lure others birds into your flock. New birds gained can then be sold or traded back, or kept. Parlor Rollers, who execute several backflips on the ground at once, can also be recorded for sport. Breeders try to get birds who roll across the ground the longest distance in one round of flips.
- It has been recorded that pigeons have been domesticated by man since at least 3,000 B.C., making them mans oldest feathered friends.
- Pigeons have served many vital roles during their domesticated. Once the homing ability of the birds was discovered, they have been used to carry messages of victories and great historic achievements, as well as served in wars over time as message carriers. Also, pigeons were once trained to spot the orange lifejackets of people lost at sea, and peck at a small device strapped to their chest when one was spotted. The experiment worked, but was never put to use in serious situations.
- Pigeons have great senses. They can see in more detailed color than we can, at farther distances, and can see UV light as well. They can also hear very well, being able to detect a larger range of frequencies. Pigeons can hear the wind moving through the mountains, many miles away. It has also been found that they can smell quite well. Not so much for finding food, like other animals may, but well enough that they can use familiar smells to help guide themselves home.
- Scientists are still unclear on just how homing pigeons know how to get home. Through many different studies, they have come up with a few proven theories. Using GPS tracking, they have found pigeons do have a tendacy to follow familiar landmarks such as major roads and highways, ridges, tree lines, and rivers. Pigeons are not migratory birds, but those that are use the sun as a compass when they travel from North to South each year. Scientists think pigeons may also use the position of the sun. Another theory they have, is that pigeons can sense the Earths magnetic field. Scientists have found the birds to contain tiny magnetic chips near the birds beak. Those chips are what allow them to sense the lines in the field. Through an experiment where they disabled the chips, sight (with contacts), and smell on different flocks of birds, they found each of their theories to be correct. Without the magnetic chips, many birds were lost. Without smell, birds were lost as well. But without being able to see, the majority of the birds returned home, landing just feet from the loft. Some even landed on the roof, close to the loft entrance. That showed they dont have to rely on sight of landmarks to find home. So if you put all of that together, the birds have many tricks to knowing where to go. They use ALL of their senses to their advantage. Different pigeons probably use some more than others, depending on the situation.
- Homing pigeons can find their way home over hundreds of miles of land theyve never seen before. In Old Bird racing, pigeons at one year of age and older, are often released at distances up to 600 miles. The better birds may be home by nightfall, and the others are home by the next morning. There have been races held up to 1,200 miles before, in which birds have returned home. 1,000 mile races are rare now. Most races are 100-600 miles, with occasional 700 and 800 mile races in some states and countries.
- Adult homing pigeons are the fastest birds in level flight, on the planet. They can get up to 60-80 mph with no help from the wind. They have been recorded to fly at speeds of 100 mph.
Pigeons mate for life. Once they have found a mate, they stay with that same bird until death. However, they are practical birds. If their mate becomes lost, they will search for a new one to continue reproducing.
- Pigeons are very loving birds. They form very strong bonds with their mates and owners. When a lifelong mate dies, the remaining bird will often mourn instead of finding a new mate. They may also mourn over the loss of their owner, even to the point of starving themselves.
- Scientists have found pigeons to be as smart as a 4 year old human child. May not sound impressive to us, but you have to consider how intelligent humans are in general, at any age. Scientists have conducted many, many studies on pigeons and their intelligence. The birds are great problem solvers, and can identify familiar faces and objects, even when parts of them are covered. They can also remember up to 1,200 different images for long periods of time, even years. They are quick to figure out of objects are real or inanimate, and they are one of the only 9 species in the world known to pass the mirror test. Most animals will respond to their reflection as if it were another animal, but pigeons can tell it is them they are looking at.
- Along with there being many breeds of pigeons, there are also many colors. Theres over 27 different color morphs found in pigeons. There are several colors and shades, and patterns. Some of the most common colors are blue (what we see as gray), red (what we see as a rust color), and brown. The most common patterns or markings are bar, check, grizzle, piebald (also called splash), and spread (makes the bird a solid color, such as black).
- In WWII, homing pigeons were used to carry vital messages back to headquarters. Hundreds of lives were saved by these birds. One pigeon in particular, by the name of G.I. Joe, flew back at 60 mph and delivered a message just minutes before we would have mistakenly killed hundreds of our own soldiers in friendly fire. After the war was over, the animals who served were awarded with the Dickens Medal, equivalent of the Victorian Cross for the animal world. Of the 54 animals awarded, 32 went to homing pigeons, 18 to dogs, 3 to horses, and one to a cat.
These are just a few interesting facts I thought I would share. Of course, there are many, many more things I could tell you about these incredible birds, but Im sure youd tire of reading it all! If you would like to know more, or if you have any questions or comments concerning pigeons or doves, please feel free to ask. Im always glad to help in any way that I can!
Becky M.
[email protected]
