Pigeons are often overlooked and underappreciated birds, but they have a fascinating history and surprising characteristics that make them more than just city dwellers. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these feathered friends and uncover 20 pigeon facts that will make you appreciate them in a whole new light. From their remarkable navigational skills to their role in wartime, get ready to coo over these intriguing tidbits about pigeons.
1-5 Fun Facts About Pigeons
1. People have been keeping pigeons as pets for a very long time. Pigeons have been depicted in Mesopotamian art dating back to 4500 BCE, indicating their long history of being kept as pets by humans.
2. Pigeons have an incredible ability to find their way home from long distances. They can navigate and return to their home from distances of up to 1,300 miles, making them excellent homing pigeons and messengers.
3. Unlike most birds, pigeons are able to recognize their own image. They can identify themselves over a picture of a different pigeon, demonstrating a higher level of self-awareness.
4. Studies have shown that pigeons can be trained to identify cancerous tissue in mammogram images with high accuracy.
5. Pigeons are highly social animals and are often seen in flocks of 20-30 birds. They exhibit strong social bonds and tend to stay close to their flockmates.
6-10 Interesting Facts About Pigeons
6. Pigeons mate for life and are dedicated parents. They typically raise two chicks at the same time. And both the male and female pigeons share the responsibilities.
7. Baby pigeons are rarely seen because they stay in the nest for about 30 days, during which they rapidly grow and develop, resembling adult pigeons by the time they leave the nest. This is why baby pigeons are often not easily spotted in urban environments.
8. Believe it or not, carrier pigeons beat internet upload speed as late as 2010. In 2010, South African ISP Duncan Lamb built a pigeon-based data transfer service called Winston that beat the internet upload speed. The pigeons carried a 4GB memory stick, and the transfer took one hour and eight minutes, while the same data took four hours and 42 minutes to upload via the Internet.
9. Pigeons are often fed for religious reasons by various faith groups, including Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. In Sikhism, for example, feeding pigeons is considered a way to honor Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest and warrior who was known to be a friend of pigeons or rock doves.
10. A pigeon named Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre for its service during World War I. Cher Ami delivered a crucial S.O.S. message of a lost, encircled battalion despite being shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, covered in blood, and with a leg hanging only by a tendon. The brave actions of Cher Ami saved many lives during the war.
11-15 Insane Facts About Pigeon
11. The Wimbledon tennis tournament in London employs a bird of prey named Rufus the Hawk to keep pigeons away from the tennis courts. Rufus is trained to scare away pigeons, preventing them from disrupting the matches and causing damage to the facilities.
12. Pigeons have also been subjects of scientific research. In fact, researchers have trained pigeons to discriminate between paintings by famous artists such as Picasso and Monet, winning the humorous Ig Nobel Prize in psychology for their work.
13. During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, 25,000 pigeons were released during the opening ceremony. However, when a cannon was fired, the pigeons were startled and began to defecate on the spectators watching the ceremony below, creating a rather unexpected and messy situation.
14. Parlor Rollers are a breed of pigeons that are unable to fly but can perform somersaults or rolls on the ground, making them a unique and specialized breed.
15. In 2010, a pigeon was held in India and kept under police guard on allegations of spying for Pakistan. The pigeon was found with a stamped message in Urdu, along with a contact number, and was suspected of being used for espionage. However, further investigation revealed that the pigeon was not involved in any espionage activities and was eventually released.
16-20 Awesome Facts About Pigeon
16. The first U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV-1), was equipped with a pigeon house for messenger pigeons, highlighting the importance of pigeons in military communications.
17. In 2014, Chinese officials searched the anuses of 10,000 live pigeons in fear that bombs may have been planted in them to sabotage the Chinese National Day, showcasing the unique and sometimes unusual ways pigeons have been implicated in security concerns.
18. Pigeons are known for their speed, which makes them great racers. Pigeon racing is a popular sport in many countries, and racing pigeons can be highly valuable. The most expensive pigeon ever sold was priced at nearly $1,900,000, highlighting the lucrative nature of pigeon racing.
19. Pigeon racing is a popular sport in Spain, and some owners hand-paint their birds in neon colors before sending them off to race.
20. Pigeons are commonly found in cities because the tall buildings provide a similar habitat to the rocky cliffs they evolved to inhabit, with ledges and crevices serving as nesting sites, food sources, and shelter.
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading 20 Interesting Pigeon facts.
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