Racing pigeons that are taken to a new, unknown place almost always find their way back home. Even if they are released more than a thousand kilometers from home. How do theses pigeons know which way to go?
Sundial
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Pigeons determine which direction they should go, by looking carefully where the sun is. This is not so easy, because in the morning at ten o’clock the sun is in a different place than in the afternoon at three o’clock. The birds have a kind of internal clock.
When viewing the sun’s position, the birds take into account what time of day it is. To know which way a pigeon has to go home, they also need to know where they are at the moment. The pigeons cannot determine that with the help of the sun alone. Also, the sun is not visible on cloudy days. They have different solutions to acheive this.
Compass in the Beak
The compass we use works because the earth has a magnetic field. The compass contains a magnetic needle, which is attracted to the north pole. Therefore the needle always points to the north.
Many birds, including racing pigeons, feel the magnetic field. The birds have special organs for that. These are probably located in the eyes, beak, or in the ears of birds. Scientists are not yet sure how the animals feel the magnetic field. Maybe there are small pieces of magnetite in the organs. Magnetite is a highly magnetic mineral. Therefore, these pieces of magnetite are attracted to the earth’s magnetic field, just like the needle in our compass.
Chasing Their Nose
Pigeons also use their sense of smell to find their way home. Every place on earth has its unique fragrance. Scientists think that pigeons use these smells to make some kind of map in their heads. When pigeons are still at home, they learn which scents come from which direction. If the pigeons are released in a new place, they know where they have been brought, thanks to the same scents. If they smell a certain odor that came from the south now much better, they know that they have been brought to the south and must fly back to the north.
Racing pigeons recognize Spots
Pigeons have even more ways to determine where to go. For example, they likely remember striking landmarks from the landscape, such as a river or a city.
Conclusion
Racing pigeons were also regularly deployed during the First World War. They enabled the soldiers to send messages over long distances. Racing pigeons have a very developed vision, smell and hearing. But above all, they have an incomparable sense of direction which allows them to return to their starting point.
Although scientists already know a lot about how pigeons determine the direction, it is not yet completely clear how the birds always know where they are at a certain time. However they do it, they are a lot better at it than we are!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Does A Pigeon Know Where To Go To Carry A Message?
The racing pigeon can only travel in one direction: from where it is released to its pigeon loft. Thus, if we wanted to send a message from Montreal to Quebec, we would have to use pigeons living in Quebec’s pigeon lofts and release them in Montreal.
Even if the sense of orientation is innate in racing pigeons, it can be developed through training. Breeders start to train their young birds at an early age. They transport them further and further away from the loft, in different directions, then release them to check if they find their way back.
2. Pigeons Have A “Bird Brain.”
Studies have shown that racing pigeons can recognize the face and gait of people who feed them regularly. They also can recognize their reflection in the mirror.
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