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Part 2 - The Complex World of Pigeons - More than meets the eye In the November issue of Montana Best Times, the discussion centered on Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) formerly called Rock Doves and their identification, ecology, and behavior. However, the reader should realize a pigeon is not just a pigeon, but actually appears in many different forms. In this month's column we will learn the difference between a Carrier Pigeon, Homing Pigeon, Messenger Pigeon, and Passenger Pigeon.
Carrier Pigeons Today, Carrier Pigeons are basically fancy pigeons, and are bred for ornamental or showy purposes from some of the oldest fancy stock in existence. If you have never seen a true Carrier Pigeon, they are shocking to look at when you first see them. It is a bird you either love or hate. Many people think the bird is extremely ugly and grotesque, since they have an enormous fleshy wattle-cere on the top of the bill that resembles the texture and configuration of a walnut. At first impression the bird appears to be a fake or imposter, but believe me, they are real. As these birds get older they possess more wattles that eventually turn into warty knobs even on the lower bill. In addition, classic Carrier Pigeons possess fleshy skin surrounding the eye known as orbital skin or orbital cere. Other features of Carrier Pigeons are that they are bred to be large and stand tall in appearance. People who raise Carrier Pigeons, known as Carrier Fanciers, consider the Carrier Pigeon as "the King of all Pigeons," because of its ornateness and its long history of showmanship and domestication and not because of their flying ability.
Homing Pigeons Homing pigeons look remarkably like Rock Pigeons, except they are more muscular, especially the breast or pectoralis muscles, and nearly all have identification or leg bands. In racing pigeon competition these birds can fly between 30 and 60 miles per hour and average speeds around 40 mph, with flights of 100 to 300 miles being common and flights in excess of 1,600 miles being exceptional. In 1986, a homing pigeon named "Charlie" flew from the Channel Islands in the United Kingdom to Brazil, covering a distance of 4,550 miles. Homing pigeons use many cues to find their way home. They use the sun to get direction. If there is a cloud-covered sky, they use the earth's magnetic field. They sense where they are and where they need to go, and employ a "map" and "compass" system. The "compass" allows an individual pigeon to tell direction, whereas the "map" is a way of telling where they are now and where they need to go. A study in Oxford, England, found once homing pigeons complete their first journey home, they employ a "map" system by simply following established roads home. For long distance travel, it was previously suggested that homing pigeons use odor cues in the atmosphere to work out where they are and where they need to go. But latest findings from New Zealand suggest they are using primarily magnetic cues. Species that use magnetic cues seem to have a system in which signals from minute magnetite particles are carried from the nostril to the brain by way of the trigeminal nerve. My experience with Homing Pigeons suggests this is indeed the case. In the late 1980s, a Homing Pigeon was continually reported on the south shore of Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, and for some reason it would not leave. It was constantly seen flying around in circles. I had a hunch I knew what the problem was, but I needed to examine the pigeon. So I captured and retrieved the bird in question, and examined and found it to be in excellent physical condition. The bands on the legs identified it as a bird from North Carolina. I fed the bird grain, held it overnight, and gave it water. Then I released it in the Gardiner area, and watched it circle several times and fly off in the eastern horizon. My hunch had turned out to be right. Through talking to people and personal experience, I knew that the area around the Pitchstone Plateau had a notorious reputation for a strange and strong magnetic field, causing compasses to bounce around at times. Apparently, the Homing Pigeon got caught up in this magnetic field trap and couldn't get out. By removing the bird from this area, it got re-oriented and was back on track heading home once again. What to do if you find a stranded Homing Pigeon:
Messenger pigeons are simply Homing Pigeons that are trained to carry messages. These messages were frequently written on fine (cigarette) paper and placed in tiny specialized tubes attached to one leg of the bird. They have been around since the time of the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Romans. They became popular during the first and second World Wars as a reliable means of communication with frontline troops. The most famous messenger pigeon was "Cher Ami," attached to the New York Battalion of the U.S Army in 1918. In October of that year, the battalion was surrounded by the enemy and all supplies were cut off, so the pigeons were released. Few pigeons survived the ordeal, but Cher Ami delivered the message and saved the "lost battalion," despite wounds to the breast and one wounded leg holding the message with just a few strands of sinew remaining.
Passenger Pigeons In 1810, Alexander Wilson, a famed ornithologist of the time, estimated 2,230,272,000 Passenger Pigeons in one flock. Then came the market hunting era of the 1870-1890s, and their numbers dropped suddenly. Since the bird was a specialized nomadic which followed mast crops of beech, chestnut and acorn, it also relied heavily on intact forests. The fragmentation of the deciduous forests and related mast crops, coupled with heavy hunter loss, resulted in the Passenger Pigeon going extinct. The last one seen in the wild was 1899, whereas the last individual in captivity died in 1914. Now that the reader has a better understanding of the differences between Carrier Pigeons, Homing Pigeons, Messenger Pigeons, and Passenger Pigeons, the next topic, scheduled for the March issue of Montana Best Times, will concentrate on a subject everyone is familiar with, namely Bald Eagles. Enjoy! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you!
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