Pigeons are the pioneers of air mail. Post pigeon

Carrier pigeons, or sport pigeons, - pigeons, which were previously used to convey messages. There is no special, sharply defined homing pigeon, and the abilities necessary for this activity are developed in them by the gradual selection of relatives and careful care for them. Currently the term "carrier pigeons" is replaced by the term "sports pigeons", since they are no longer used for delivery postal items, but only at pigeon breeder competitions.

A pigeon, accustomed to its place of permanent residence, having been brought even a very long distance from home, returns to its nest as soon as possible (see Homing); Some breeds of pigeons are especially capable of this.

History of pigeon mail[ | ]

Breeding [ | ]

Dovecotes are populated with pigeons from 30 to 35 days of age, since earlier they have difficulty eating, and older ones may disappear when flying out of the dovecote. Pigeons enrolled in dovecotes are branded and entered in a book, where each pigeon's number, time of birth, gender, nest number and direction of training are noted. The brand is placed on the first three feathers of the right wing, and the pigeon number is placed on the side or above the brand.

The pigeons reach their full development in the fifth month, and in the sixth month they begin to mate. About 14 days after the pigeons descend, the female lays the first egg around noon, and the second on the third day between 4-6 pm. The dove usually lays two eggs, but it happens that the young lay only one, and if three are found, then it was laid by a single dove that does not have its own nest. Sometimes eggs are without shells if there is no lime and salt in the dovecote. If a dove has laid only one egg, then you need to give her another, because pigeons do not sit firmly on one. The day on which the first egg is laid should be recorded, because if the eggs are not fertilized, then by the time the chicks come out, they can be taken away from the hen and placed to raise a pigeon from another pair.

Hatching of eggs begins immediately after laying the 2nd egg; it is produced by both parents in turn, and by the male from 9-10 hours. in the morning until 3-4 in the afternoon, and by the female the rest of the time. On the third day of incubation, the fertilized egg loses its transparency and the shell becomes white-matte, and then gray-lead; an unfertilized egg retains its original transparency, only the shell becomes rough and when the egg is shaken, a splash of liquid is heard inside. If both eggs turn out to be chatterboxes or both chicks die upon hatching, then their parents need to feed other people's chicks, which simultaneously hatched in another nest. Otherwise, the pigeons, not being able to get rid of the nutritious juice that has accumulated in their crops by that time, can become dangerously ill.

The pigeons emerge blind and completely helpless, and carrier pigeons show parental tenderness; they, like mammals, during the first days feed the pigeons with a yellowish liquid, similar to milk, secreted by the pigeon and pigeon; then a kind of porridge of grains is mixed into this liquid, and only subsequently do they feed the children with the seeds swollen in the crop. If the children lose their mother, the male will feed them; Having lost their father, they risk dying of hunger. When the pigeons are 14 days old, they are covered with thick down, and the old ones again prepare their nests and sit on the eggs. From the time the first feathers appear, pigeons warm their chicks only at night; After two weeks they stop sitting on them altogether.

Pigeons live in pairs. The selected male and female are locked in a special box for 2 or 3 days, and then if they remain together, this will serve as an indication that fallowing has been completed. Paternal relatives should not be flogged, as it affects the degeneration of the breed. Although young pigeons should be avoided due to the fact that they do not raise their first offspring well, this provides the convenience that after separating the males from the females, from December 1 to January 15, each male will find his own female and occupy the same box. The separation of pigeons is carried out in order to keep them from producing offspring at a time when it is unsatisfactory; on these same days it is useful to limit their food, and from the second half of March begin to give as much food as they can eat, because eggs are laid, incubation and feeding of the chicks occurs.

In summer, pigeons hatch three times; They also hatch in winter if kept warm. The cold is not harmful to pigeons, but it stops the laying of eggs for several months, and this strengthens them for later broods.

The best pigeons are those that are descended from 3- or 4-year-old relatives. The fertility of pigeons decreases in the 7th or 8th year, and stops in the 11th or 12th; they live up to 25 years. In order to improve the messengers, breeding pigeons should be allowed to feed one chick each time, destroying or placing another chick under another pair; from this measure, the number of offspring may decrease, but in general the flock will multiply faster, because due to qualitative superiority, the percentage of young pigeons lost during training will significantly decrease. The chicks should be taken in turn, now larger, now smaller, since the first is a dove, and the second is a dove, otherwise the number of young males will not be equal to the number of females in the dovecote. The best hatching occurs in the spring, and those born during the molting of the parents usually subsequently become ill. Sick pigeons should not be kept together with healthy ones.

Pigeons molt annually, and all feathers are renewed no more than once. If you need to use pigeons whose chicks are from 2 to 3 days old, then the latter are replaced by those that are from 6 to 10 days old, because these need less time to feed.

Feeding and maintenance[ | ]

For each pigeon, with an ordinary feed, 410 g (1 lb) is considered, and with an enhanced feed, 820 g of food per 8 days; then the amount of food is adjusted to the number of chicks being fed; Excess feed develops laziness and infertility. Feeding should be done regularly, two or three times a day, with the first feeding early in the morning, about ¼ hour after sunrise, the second at about 1 p.m., and the third before dusk. Pigeons also need plenty of food during periods of heavy molting and during severe frosts to develop internal warmth.

The main food is field yellow peas, and it is better to eat vetch. Peas, which have a greenish appearance, produce diarrhea in pigeons, debilitating the old ones to the point of being unfit for life. long journeys, and in young people it interferes with proper development. There should be no admixture of mouse peas, oats and rye. When peas begin to produce harmful effects, a mixture of other grains should be added to the feed. To this we must also take care of providing them with the necessary substances for the structure of the skeleton and eggshell, namely sand, lime and salt. Animal food contributes to the reproduction and development of chicks, and oily substances produce the beauty of feathers.

The water for pigeons in the summer should not be cold, so that those arriving from travel do not catch a cold; the water should be changed daily. When pigeons are molting, it is useful to place a piece of iron in the water. Pigeons also need water for bathing, which is useful for them every other day in the summer, and on warm days in the winter. Pigeons also need clean air and daylight, and dampness causes them serious harm.

Training [ | ]

Pigeons begin to be trained to fly around the dovecote after staying in it for at least 3 days, when they reach about six weeks of age and receive full plumage; They continue this for about 6 weeks, and then begin training, that is, taking the pigeon some distance from the nest, they are taught to return home, gradually increasing the distance.

In the first year, pigeons are not trained to a distance beyond 320 km. Training areas should not be reduced, because frequent transfer of pigeons disturbs them, reduces flight energy and attachment to the dovecote. For distances of less than 100 km, intervals of about a day are allowed for the pigeons to rest, and for longer distances, about 4 days. Training sessions are recorded in a book.

The best time for training is from the second half of April to October. For the first flights you need good weather, and then you can fly even in bad weather.

When the pigeons are trained, then in order to improve their flight and exercise their mental abilities, as well as to drive away laziness, apathy and fat, which make the pigeon incapable of long flights, they should be flown once a month for the full distance, one after another, through known periods of time.

Training pigeons that have not been mated should be avoided, as they may mate elsewhere; for the same reason, those who were separated there should not be released from the dovecote. Pigeons intended for training are placed in baskets, males separately from females, no more than 30 in each basket.

Catching pigeons in the dovecote and placing them in baskets for transportation to the station from which they are to return home should be done with the utmost caution. Catching them during the day and grabbing them with your hands takes away their desire to return to their native nest. To catch pigeons during the day, it is good to use a net, but you must first teach them not to be afraid of it; in the dark, pigeons freely allow themselves to be picked up. In order to maintain endurance and ability for long flights in pigeons, it is necessary to keep them in baskets for as little time as possible, and therefore pigeons should be transported by trains high speed. You should also try to ensure that the pigeons are accompanied on their journey by a person to whom they are accustomed. Trained pigeons are not released later than 12 noon.

Usage [ | ]

At distances from 100 to 160 km, an hour before the pigeons are released, several handfuls of grains are thrown into a basket and given to them to drink. The choice of place for releasing pigeons is of great importance. It should be sublime and open; in the valley the pigeon cannot immediately find its bearings, and the mountains and large forests frighten it, not allowing it to move directly from its place.

To release pigeons, open the basket and move away so as not to frighten them; then the pigeons fly out and, having risen to a height, describe several spiral circles in the air, and then, having chosen a direction and presumably guided by the earth’s magnetic field, they fly off into the distance like an arrow. In each flock, there are two kinds of pigeons: leaders and companions; the first, flying in the head, guide the flock, and the second - stay behind them. The best pigeons are released from each station one by one and those who fly home first are considered the leaders. The ease of flight is influenced by the properties of the terrain, which is why a pigeon travels 320 km on flat terrain faster than 100 km on terrain riddled with obstacles.

In order to develop the ability of orientation in pigeons, they should be kept as much as possible in complete freedom, which gives them the opportunity to look closely at their home in different time year, especially in winter, when snow changes the appearance of objects; constant freedom is also necessary to maintain their health and develop the power of flight. When flying, the pigeon stays at an altitude of 100 to 150 m and is accustomed to orienting itself from the indicated height, and therefore if it is desirable to preserve its abilities when descending from a higher altitude, then it must be prepared for this, otherwise it will not return to its dovecote.

The flight limit for homing pigeons is considered to be 1,100 km, but some can find the way to their nest from a greater distance. A pigeon can fly this distance freely no earlier than three years of age.

Breeds [ | ]

There are many varieties of homing pigeons, but four are the most typical:

• English quarry,
• Flanders, or Brussels,
• Antwerp and
• Lüttichsky

The first has a large size, a strong physique and a beak surrounded by a growth that looks like a head of cauliflower; the second is the largest of the Belgian pigeons, the beak and neck are thick and short, and the wings are tightly pressed to the body; the third has a long and narrow beak and a swan-like neck; the fourth is distinguished by its small size. You can also mention the rock pigeon ( Columba livia), about the Dutch tumler, but the first is rare in Europe, and the others are all inferior in quality to the above-mentioned ones. In general, the homing pigeon is similar to the rock pigeon, but it also comes in a different color, although variegated ones are rarely seen; the beak has a thicker, and sometimes large growths on the nose and always bare eyelids, which are quite wide; the legs and tail are short, and the wings are long and strong. The flight is straight, and the neck extends more than that of an ordinary pigeon

Pigeon sport [ | ]

The flight speed and memory of pigeons are amazing. Pigeons often flew from Rome to Brussels (about 1100 km air route) through the Alps; often reached speeds of 90-100 km per hour, at a distance of about 320 km (Paris - Chatellerault, 1875). Only the flight of a mountain killer whale (358 km per hour), a hawk (about 224 km per hour) and a swallow (up to 119 km per hour) rivals the flight of a pigeon in this regard. The memory of pigeons is evidenced by the fact that a French pigeon, given in 1871 by Prince Friedrich Karl to his mother, broke free in 1875 and returned to its dovecote in Paris.

The first private pigeon sport society was established in Belgium in 1818, and by the beginning of the 20th century there were hundreds of them around the world. In Paris alone and its suburbs there were now &&&&&&&&&018000.&&&&&0 18,000 carrier pigeons, of which 8,000 were trained. In the city of Roubaix, with a population of about &&&&&&&&0100000.&&&&&0 100,000, there were &&&&&&&&&015,000.&&&&&0 15,000 pigeons. In all of France there were up to &&&&&&&&0100000.&&&&&0 100,000 trained pigeons; 47 departments had societies for postal pigeon sport lovers. In Germany, where there were many such societies, in one of their Union “Columbia” in 1888 there were 178 societies and &&&&&&&&&052240.&&&&&0 52,240 pigeons; These numbers were also high in other states. In 1890, the first Russian private society for postal pigeon sport was established in Kyiv.

According to the majority modern people pigeon mail is an anachronism, an echo of the distant past, covered with an aura of romance.

Meanwhile, until relatively recently, such communication was the most common means of communication, and the fastest.

When did pigeon mail appear?

It is believed that man tamed the pigeon more than 50 centuries ago, and according to some data it even turns out that this bird has been living next to us for about 10 thousand years. For this for a long time residents different countries managed to discern an unusual and very valuable quality of such birds - the ability to accurately find their home.
If we turn to mythology, the first carrier pigeon should apparently be considered the one Noah sent out during the Great Flood in search of dry land..

Important! In terms of speed over long distances, only the swallow, hawk and mountain killer whale can compete with the messenger pigeon. A pigeon can fly for a long time at a speed of 100 km/hand more.

How do they know where to fly and how far they fly?

There are several assumptions regarding how the bird finds its way home. Perhaps pigeons use it as a navigation system natural magnetic fields planets, or maybe it’s all about the sun, whose position in space they are guided by.

There is no doubt that pigeons can only fly home, that is, to the place from which they were taken. There have often been cases of birds flying over distances of more than 1000 km.

History of pigeon mail

There is reason to believe that pigeon mail appeared and became in demand even before the beginning of ancient times. As soon as states replaced small tribes scattered across vast expanses, the need arose to quickly and accurately transmit messages between the capital and the provinces.
Great importance communication also existed in military affairs. And since signal fires or drums transmitted a signal only to short distance, they could not compete with the fast and hardy birds.

Antiquity and the Middle Ages

The ability of pigeons to return to their nest was known in Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Middle East. In the early Middle Ages, the Gauls and Germanic tribes not only used pigeons as civilian postmen, but also actively used their skill for military purposes and in trade.

In the middle of the 12th century Egypt was one of the centers for the development of this type of communications.

The reason for this was the unprecedented generosity of the local nobility, who were willing to pay huge amounts of money for well-trained postmen.

Later, in the 70s of the 16th century, during the Eighty Years' War, pigeons played a prominent role in the siege of the rebellious Dutch city of Leiden by the Spaniards. When the residents of the besieged city, in despair, were ready to surrender, the leader of the Dutch army, William of Orange, sent them a message by carrier pigeon, in which he urged the townspeople to hold out for another three months. Ultimately, Leiden was never captured.

Did you know? The first club for homing pigeon lovers should be considered the Belgian Society for Pigeon Sports, organized in 1818.Then similar e clubs began to open all over Europe. 100 years later, in Paris alone there were 8 thousand trained feathered postmen.

Nineteenth century

Before the advent and widespread use of the telegraph, there were only two types of comparative fast communication: horse messenger and carrier pigeons. Moreover, the latter message delivery times were significantly ahead of the former.
Friedrich von Amerling (1803-1887) "Pigeon Mail" Even in the age of the Industrial Revolution, feathered postmen were often simply irreplaceable. To some extent, thanks to them, future financial empires were built - the ancestors of modern transnational corporations.

An example of this is a deal that brought Nathan Rothschild huge profits: in 1815, thanks to the feathered mail, this businessman learned of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo two days earlier than his competitors.
Naturally, the economic consequences of military defeat were instantly calculated by the genius of commerce.

Knowing how this news would affect French securities in a couple of days, he made the necessary transactions on the stock exchange, and as a result, he became one of the main, if not the only, beneficiary (recipient of the benefit).

Around the same time, the government of the Netherlands established a pigeon post system, used for both civilian purposes and for the needs of the army, on the islands of one of its colonies - modern Indonesia. The Baghdad pigeon breed was used as delivery vehicles.

Important! An unmated bird should not be trained; it may find a mate elsewhere. For the same reason, you should not release separated birds from the dovecote.

During Franco-Prussian War 1870–1871, the only means of communication with Paris besieged by the Germans were feathered postmen. The volume of information is simply amazing - 150 thousand official documents alone, and almost seven times as many private messages.
By that time this type communication was not spared by technological progress: messages were composed for more transmitted information using photoenlargement techniques. Accordingly, a photographic enlarger was also used to decipher dispatches.

The main terminal from which mail was sent to Paris was the city of Tours; pigeons were taken from the French capital on hot-air balloon . The Germans tried to fight the air mail carriers with the help of hawks, but the lines of communication were still operational.
Perhaps the siege of Paris, or perhaps something else, was the reason why at the end of the 19th century many European states established postal pigeon services for military needs.
But it was not only the military that actively used the talent of birds - newspapermen also did not ignore it. For example, the various regattas that were most popular at that time were actively covered in the press. People wanted to know about the results of the swims as early as possible. Accordingly, the newspaper, which previously gave reliable information about the results of the races, sold larger copies than competitors. It was then that the newspapermen began to negotiate with the owners and captains of yachts so that they would take on board the means of delivering urgent dispatches - pigeons.

At the end of the 19th century Hawaii were not yet one of the US states and a respectable resort. It was a small group of islands lost in the Pacific Ocean, where a mail or passenger ship rarely visited - and even then, more often to replenish water or fruit. 3 years before the beginning of the 20th century, not just a postal service was organized on the archipelago, but a prototype of modern money transfer companies: in addition to letters, this service sent cash.

It is also worth mentioning Great Barrier Island Postal Service.
From the end of the 19th century until 1908, when a telegraph cable was laid along the ocean floor, it connected the island with the capital of New Zealand, Auckland.
The name of the institution By pigeongram service. This institution was distinguished by a very thorough, professional approach: even issued its own postage stamps.
The Pigeon Service also had its own record holder - the Velocity pigeon, which covered more than 100 km in 50 minutes.

Did you know? Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl gave his mother a dove brought from Paris. After 4 years, the bird broke free, managing to find« the road» and return home.

World Wars I and II

The 20th century, despite all its technological breakthroughs, did not forget about pigeons: they continued to be widely used during the First and Second World Wars.
These birds have more than once saved the lives of soldiers and sailors, delivering reports in situations where no one else was able to do so. In addition to saving lives, birds helped achieve victory in seemingly hopeless situations.
French soldiers with pigeons, 1914-1915. You can remember the famous story Vitya Cherevichkina, which every Soviet schoolchild knew. A fifteen-year-old teenager was shot by the Nazis because, contrary to German orders, he did not destroy his pigeons, using them to communicate with the Red Army in captured Rostov.

Are they still used today?

In the post-war era, the famous news agency Reuters used feathered postmen to deliver news dispatches due to traffic jams that prevented cars from passing through. In Yalta, the local publication Kurortnaya Gazeta also used this type of communication.

Currently, pigeon mail is used only occasionally - for advertising, commercial purposes, for commemorative anniversary events, and philatelic events.

There are clubs for pigeon sports fans that hold meetings, conventions and competitions - not only within one club or city, but also at the international level.

Important! The place from which the pigeon will return home is of great importance. You should choose a hill that is open on all sides. In the valley, the feathered postman sees no recognizable landmarks. Unfamiliar landscape features (mountains, large ravines) and dense forests can frighten the bird.

Breeds of carrier pigeons

Although a variety of breeds have been used for the postal service, four are the most widely accepted:

There are several more breeds that are close in their qualities to those listed above, but due to various reasons still enjoy less recognition as postmen - for example, rock pigeon, Dutch tumbler.

How training is carried out

Usually the start of training is flying around the dovecote. They begin no earlier than the bird is one and a half months old. By this time, the future postman must be fully feathered and live in a dovecote for at least three days, around which he will make training flights.

Such flights last about 1.5 months, after which they move on to the next stage of training: the bird is taken to some distance from the dovecote, increasing it over time.

Did you know?First Russian society Postal pigeon sport was organized in Kyiv in 1890.

In the initial year of training, future postmen are not taken further than 200 miles (320 km). There is a rule in training: you should not reduce the distances over which birds fly. Otherwise, the bird’s behavior becomes restless, and its attachment to its native nest weakens.

At training at distances up to 100 km the birds are given a day of rest. Between long flights the bird rests for approximately 90 hours. All training, flights and the points from which they were made are recorded.

The most fruitful training takes place from mid-spring to the end of September.

To begin training, good weather, in the future, training flights take place in any weather. To maintain the shape of trained pigeons, to keep them in good shape, once every 4 weeks they are launched at the maximum possible distance, one after another, after a certain time.

Future postmen selected for training are seated separately by gender, up to 3 dozen in one basket. You should carefully place the birds in baskets to take them to the final station. A rude, intrusive attitude, or an unpleasant sensation from contact with hands can discourage the bird from returning home. It is better to catch pigeons using a net, having accustomed them to it in advance. But at night the bird quite calmly allows you to pick it up.
The pigeon must be taken to the station as quickly as possible, since staying in the basket for a long time relaxes the bird and makes it lazy. The bird must be transported by someone whom the pigeons know and are not afraid of. In general, before flying, you need to create comfortable conditions for the birds so that they have a desire to return home. The bird should be released for a training flight before noon.

If the distance to home is within 100–150 km, 50–60 minutes before the start, postmen are given water and a small amount of grains To start, choose an elevated place, open the basket and leave it. The pigeon rises, looks around the place, finds a landmark known to itself and begins its flight.

Important!The terrain of the area affects the flight of the bird. 200 km distance open space a pigeon will cover faster than 70 km over rough terrain.

Postal birds need to be given more freedom. Only they themselves know what to focus on when choosing a route. Birds need to independently explore the area adjacent to the house, and know it thoroughly at different times of the year. Also active image life does not allow them to grow fat - a pigeon is not a broiler, there is no need for it to gain excess weight.

Video: pigeon training

The normal flight altitude of a pigeon is 100–150 m. It has excellent orientation at this height, since it is accustomed to seeing objects in the appropriate sizes. If for some reason you need to develop the ability to find home and land from a higher altitude, it's worth working on it, otherwise you may have problems when returning. A trained pigeon reaches its peak form at about 3–3.5 years.

Hero Pigeons

First world war a carrier pigeon was brought from the USA to France, which made many flights with reports; During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, thanks to her, the lives of almost 200 soldiers were saved. The dove was wounded, but flew to its destination without an eye, a paw and with a wound on its chest. She was awarded the Military Cross and the Gold Medal of the American Homing Pigeon Society.
Scarecrow Cher Ami Two doves Commando and GI Joe, were awarded the Mary Dickin Medal (the highest military award for animals, Great Britain) in 1945–46 for military services shown during the Second World War.
Dove G.I. Joe, recipient of the Mary Deakin Medal During World War II, Danish underground fighters took possession of important information, which could only be transmitted using carrier pigeons. The feathered postman coped with this task, for which he also received the Deakin award.
The Dove was awarded a bronze statue and the Dickin Medal. She saved the crew of an English submarine lying at the bottom, flying almost 5,000 nautical miles in 12 days.
Irish postman Paddy On September 1, 1944, he received an award for the news of the Allied landings in Normandy. In 4.5 hours the bird flew almost 400 km. This is a very high result.
Pigeons Paddy and Gustav with Mary Deakin medals, 1944 Soldier Blu- another hero pigeon that saved a Soviet submarine, covering more than 1000 km in 2 days.

Post pigeon "48", with a broken paw and a serious wound, delivered a message from a partisan detachment that was surrounded.

Did you know? The head of the pigeon postal service of the French army, Captain Renault, experimentally established at the end of the 19th century that a pigeon could fly over 3,000 kilometers over the ocean and safely reach the shore.

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9 once already
helped

Today at the pigeons bad reputation. Many people perceive them as stupid birds that shit on the streets and spread diseases. Some call them "winged rats." Although there is no basis for such an attitude, especially since pigeons are incredibly smart creatures.

Ordinary city pigeons are well oriented in space and will always find their way home. Firstly, pigeons remember landscape features along their path; secondly, they remember smells; thirdly, they have a “built-in compass” with which they navigate by the Sun. If one of these features malfunctions, the bird cannot find its way home. Stopping a pigeon from returning home may be trivial artificial lighting streets.

Researchers from Oxford University equipped birds as part of an experiment navigation system GPS to track their route during the flight. During their journey, the two pigeons had the choice of returning home individually or as a pair. The birds found a compromise and chose something in between - they set off along a common route, close to their individual routes leading home. The fact is that pigeons are capable of obeying the leader and following him, but if the routes of the pigeons are completely different or directed in different sides, then compromise is not possible. It should be noted that pigeons in a flock cover the route much more efficiently than alone.

with one more interesting fact researchers encountered several years ago when they realized that pigeons could distinguish human faces. During the experiment, two researchers, approximately the same in build and type, treated the pigeons differently: one was kind, and the other chased them around the cage during feeding. Through certain time the researchers stopped appearing in front of the pigeons, but when they appeared again, the birds recognized them and began to avoid the one who had behaved aggressively in the past, despite the fact that he stood still.

Among the little-known facts about pigeons, the ability of birds to remember certain information for a long time should be highlighted. Another experiment, conducted at the Mediterranean Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, aimed to measure the memory properties of pigeons in comparison with baboons. Pigeons and baboons were often shown a picture and a color, and the animals were required to remember the associations. The pigeons were able to remember from 800 to 1200 associations. Although they lost to the baboons in the competition, this is a good result.

Behind Lately studies have shown that pigeons know abstract mathematics. They tend to calculate their behavior, which was previously considered the prerogative of only primates. During the experiment, three pigeons were shown three sets of objects on a screen. One set had one item, the second had two, and the third had three. All objects differed in color, shape and size. Pigeons were trained to peck on a screen, first a set with one object, then two, and later three. When they did what they were asked to do without error, the pigeons were shown sets containing from one to nine items, respectively. As a result, the pigeons were able to distinguish sets with one, two and three objects, although they were not taught that there could be more than three objects. This experiment showed that pigeons are able to understand the nature of numbers and that cause-and-effect relationships are not alien to them.

Many facts about the role of pigeons in human history are missing from textbooks. But everyone is well aware that people have been using pigeon mail since time immemorial. Therefore, during the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War, the city's defenders used this talent of pigeons to transmit messages, which was faster than the telegraph. For obvious reasons, less than 10% of birds survived the hostilities of the First World War. Many of the survivors were awarded Mary Deakin medals for their invaluable services.

4. Pigeons tend to behave superstitiously

In 1947, Skinner published the results of an experiment in which pigeons with low weights were placed in a cage. They were fed regularly at certain intervals. Over time, 6 out of 8 pigeons showed interesting behavior. One of the birds regularly repeated the same movement - sticking its head into the corner of the cage, the other continuously moved around the cage in a circle. The fact is that the birds decided that they were fed only thanks to their strange behavior.

3. Relatives of the Dodo bird

DNA analysis of pigeons has shown similarities with the extinct dodo bird. A relative of the modern pigeon is the colorful Nicobar pigeon, which lives in southeast Asia and the Nicobar Islands. Before scientific discovery It was difficult to determine which family the extinct dodo bird belonged to, since it had unique external physical features.

2. Pigeons can come in different colors

It seems to many that pigeons are mostly medium-sized, dark gray in color and live on city streets. Most of them, yes, but that's just one type. Pigeons live all over the world, and many of them look very beautiful. For example, there are fruit pigeons that surprise with their bright green, red and yellow hues.

1. Pigeons are several thousand years old

Pigeons can be called human companions. The first documentary mention of them appeared more than 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. In Egypt, the remains of pigeons were found in ancient human burials. There have been cases in history when people treated pigeons as sacred birds. They were worshiped, they were exalted. Despite the fact that some species of pigeons have disappeared and become rare, they have coexisted with people for thousands of years.

Today there are more of which are bred in captivity. They vary greatly in appearance, so for a long time researchers believed that they originated from different types family of pigeons.

But in fact, all breeds trace their ancestry to one species - This bird is the most common representative of the family, it inhabits all continents except Antarctica.

Man tamed the rock pigeon in the period from 5000 to 10000 years ago, but most researchers believe that these birds serve humans from 5000 to 6000 years. According to some sources, they were first domesticated on the territory of Egypt or Libya, according to others - in the Sumerian state. Today it is not possible to reliably determine where this happened.

The rock pigeon is very widespread and For many thousands of years it has coexisted with humans in various parts of Europe and Asia. Most likely, different peoples of the Ancient World tamed and began to use pigeons independently of each other.

Somewhere they were simply revered as sacred birds, and somewhere they were sacrificed during religious rites. Also, they have been used since ancient times. Later, pigeon mail appeared.

Appearance of a pigeon and behavioral characteristics

The rock pigeon can be classified as medium sized birds:

• its body length is about 30-35 cm;
• wingspan - 50-55 cm;
• weight - from 265 to 380 g.

At the same time, representatives of various species can differ significantly in size and weight from their wild ancestor. Weight of meat pigeons may be more than a kilogram.

Thus, the maximum weight of birds of the American King breed is 1.1 kg, and the average weight is 650 g. Pigeons of the Austrian Strasser meat breed weigh a little less - from 900 g to 1 kg. And French Monden pigeons weigh from 900 g to 1.3 kg. Thus, they are significantly smaller in size but at the same time much larger than the wild rock pigeon from which they originated.

Color difference

The colors of pigeons are very diverse. These birds can have either plain faded plumage or very variegated and bright ones. There are white and black pigeons, fawn, blue, green, orange and red.

What does a dove chick look like?

Which emerge from eggs, weigh about 10 g, they are completely devoid of feathers, and their eyes are closed. Later they are covered with yellow down, and then with feathers. At the age of two months, young pigeons become full members of the flock. They can be distinguished from adult birds by their thinness and duller plumage.

Features of lifestyle and behavior

Semi-domestic pigeons, which can be found on city streets, often do not live to see 5 years of age. Their average life expectancy is 6 years.

At the same time, those kept in favorable conditions can reach 35 years of age. This life expectancy is made possible thanks to optimal temperature conditions, constant access to clean drinking water, as well as good sanitation, which reduces the risk of infection to a minimum.

When does it rush?

The breeding season for those that inhabit cities and for domestic birds is very extended in time. They can reproduce all year round. The female usually lays two eggs, less often - one. She begins to hatch the next clutch even before the chicks from the previous brood mature.

How are nests made?

The wild rock pigeon lays eggs and hatches chicks on rocks. These birds build primitive nests from small branches, roots, and dry grass. Semi-feral pigeons that live in urban environments may lay eggs on bare concrete, boards or on the ground.

Why do pigeons nod?

One of interesting features pigeons - when walking, they sharply throw their heads forward over and over again. This is due to the visual characteristics of birds. In order for their eyes to have time to focus on something, they must remain motionless relative to the object for a certain time.

This is what happens after the dove nods. He continues to step forward, and his body moves in space, while his head remains at one point.

In one experiment, pigeons walked on a treadmill. If the speed of its movement was equal to the speed of the step, that is, the bird walked along the path, while remaining motionless relative to the surrounding space, the shaking of its head stopped. In another experience pigeons stopped nodding their heads when they were blindfolded.

However, birds can nod their heads even when they are standing in one place. In this case, rocking performs a different function. Thanks to them, the bird can estimate the distance to objects that surround it, including food objects lying on the ground. By nodding, her vision changes from monocular to binocular.

Male and female pigeons

External differences in pigeons they are much less pronounced than in However, males can be distinguished from females both by appearance and behavior. Male individuals are larger, they have larger heads, thicker and blunt beaks with developed ceres - volumetric formations that are located in the area of ​​the nostrils.

Females also have larger eyes and thinner necks. However, these features are not typical for everyone. Thus, males of decorative breeds are smaller than females and may have more graceful body contours.

Males are more prone to aggression and conflict. The behavior of females is calmer, but they coo more often.

How to tell the difference?

To reliably find out the sex of a pigeon, you must use both several methods for determining it:

• palpate the pelvic bones - two tubercles that protrude on the abdomen near the bird’s tail: in males they are located closer to each other than in females;
• place a bird whose sex needs to be determined with a male individual: two males will begin to fight to determine which of them is stronger; if you place a female, the male will begin to show her signs of attention;
• examine the bird's head in profile: males have a higher forehead, a more massive beak, and a larger cere.

If you use several methods at once, the likelihood of errors in determining gender is minimized.

Why are pigeons bred?

Depending on their purpose, all breeds of domestic pigeons can be divided into four groups:

• postal;
• flying;
• meat.

Pigeon mail has long been one of the main types postal service. This the oldest method of transmitting correspondence by air. It became possible due to the fact that pigeons always return to their native nest from wherever they are. Pigeon mail was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans and Jews. It has long lost its importance, and now these birds are raised mainly for meat.

Representatives of flying breeds are used for performances - they are able to perform pirouettes in the air that look very impressive.

The main feature of decorative pigeons is spectacular appearance. At the same time, many of them fly poorly, and some do not take to the air at all. Meat birds, as their name implies, are raised for consumption.

Over the several thousand years that have passed since the domestication of pigeons, man has developed several hundred breeds, which are bred and raised for various purposes. these, on the one hand, are familiar and ordinary, but on the other hand, they are very interesting, and you can spend a long time understanding their features appearance and behavior, discovering new facts over and over again.

The carrier pigeon has long been valued by humans. This bird helped convey messages to people who lived at the dawn of ancient civilizations - Egyptian, Chinese and Greek. Delivered pigeon mail messages changed the outcome of events, wars, and influenced the fate of cities. In medieval Europe, the price of a feathered postman was comparable to the cost of an Arabian thoroughbred stallion. Nowadays, there are many technologies that allow people to communicate at a distance, but the love for the legendary birds has remained.

It is not surprising, looking at history, that the breeds of homing pigeons are among the oldest. They carry their genetic characteristics from time immemorial. Until the mid-20th century, pigeon breeders attributed their distinctive characteristics to their relatively large size, broad chest, long neck, and long legs.

Feathered postmen were the bearers of the best qualities of the pigeon family: affection for the dovecote and excellent flight characteristics. They returned to their native walls, covering long distances - about 200 km at a speed of 60-80 km/h without rest or feeding.

Nowadays, breeders and breeders of the homing pigeon strive to preserve its main features when forming new decorative breeds. The uniqueness of such birds lies in the combination of beauty and flight qualities of their distant famous ancestors. In the article you will learn all the details about how messages were delivered by birds when people did not yet know other means of communication.

The most famous winged messengers

IN modern world Messenger pigeons turned into sports pigeons, capable of covering 1000 kilometers per day. These strong, fast and resilient birds are the dream of many pigeon breeders around the world. Feathered athletes, including those from Russia, take part in exhibitions, Olympics, championships, even at the international level.

Now there are about 10 breeds of postal (sporting) birds. Experts call Antwerp and Lütich pigeons from Belgium their ancestors. The most famous are of feathered origin:

• Russian;
• English (quarry);
• German;
• Belgian;
• Czech;
• Swiss;
• American (gigantic).

Handsome postmen from Russia

Representatives of this breed are beautiful and birdlike graceful. They are distinguished by their slender figure, developed chest, and strong, strong legs. In profile one can see a beautiful arc formed by the smooth pigeon's head and beak. The neck is elongated and looks vertical. The eyes of the Russian winged postman are dark, expressive, and large. The beak is not sharp, convex, widening at the base, and closes well.

Because of its long, strong wings, pressed to the body and extending to the tail, it seems that the bird is about to take off. Russian carrier pigeons vary in color: they can be single-colored or variegated, belted and with white edging on the wings. The main ones can be red, white, black, yellow colors. The plumage is thick and dense. There are no feathers on the legs, the toes are red.

Among Russian birds, Ostankino pigeons have become a separate breed. They are more compact white and with black eyes.

Champions come from Belgium

The pigeons of this country, modest in their beauty, became repeated world champions in sports pigeon competitions.

Belgian homing pigeons have excellent navigation skills and speed, which puts them on par with the best representatives of the homing (sporting) breed.

And this is not surprising - it was in Belgium that the first breed of feathered messengers was formed. Already in 1820, a competition was organized for them over a distance of 320 km.

It is believed that the Belgians crossed pigeons with seagulls to obtain good flying qualities.

Outwardly they look like wild birds. They have an average body size (up to 40 cm) with a rounded head and a short tail. The color is dominated by bluish shades. The wings are lighter. These birds have silky shiny plumage.

Quarry: proud and swift

This is one of the oldest breeds of postal birds. According to one version, the ancestors of the quarry were warty pigeons, which served as messengers (“carrier” - “messenger”) for the ancient Egyptians and Persians.

The so-called “warts” (“nut”) are skin growths around the beak and have become their distinctive feature. The wide rings (eyelids) around the eyes also attract attention.

The quarry, or as it is also called “English bagdet,” received its modern appearance 3 centuries ago in England. This is a large (up to 46 cm) bird with a proud posture. She has a thin neck and long wings pressed tightly to her body. The tail is narrow and long, almost reaching to the ground. The legs, like many postal breeds, are long and without feathers. English postmen have a single color coat. They are found in white, blue, black, brown. There are also variegated colors.

In flight, the quarry amazes with its swiftness.

German "fire" flyer

At the beginning of the 20th century, Germany developed its own breed of winged messengers by crossing pigeons from Belgium and England. German homing pigeons served as messengers during the world wars.

This breed of pigeons has been perfected for almost half a century. The last standard was developed in the GDR in the post-war period (1948). A considerable number of German birds came to the territory of the USSR, winning the love of many breeders.

The German pigeon was highly valued for its external beauty. To this day, this bird has retained both decorative and sporting qualities. She has a finely defined profile. By its constitution, the German pigeon is stocky and has a wide chest. The wings protrude slightly forward, the tail is narrow and short. The legs are bare and strong.

Smooth plumage can be of different colors: white, gray, brown, yellow, red.

Czech pigeon: graceful and loyal

The Czech Republic can safely be called one of the centers of European pigeon breeding. It was Czech pigeon breeders who saved Russian collections of these birds after the war.

And currently the Czechs are doing a lot to develop decorative and sport pigeon breeding. Czech messengers are regular participants in competitions and exhibitions.

They are small in size, have a stately figure, an elongated neck, and expressive pearly eyes. The tail is short, the plumage is usually yellowish, white, brownish and orange in color. They can be solid color and with belts. The beak is small with a small growth.

Chekhovs are used more often at short distances. They have not found wide distribution, but are valued for their devotion, irresistible will to win and learning ability.

Feathered postmen from little Switzerland

The Swiss value winged messengers very much and have preserved feathered mail. A monument to the hero pigeon has been erected in Switzerland.

This country acquired its postmen in the middle of the 20th century. Schütte classified the Eichbüchl Swiss Pigeon as a messenger bird. The scientist saw their typical signs: size, shape of the beak, eyes and rings around them.

The Eichbühl Messenger has a slender and elongated body structure. It has a small and smooth, beautiful shape head, short beak widened at the base, short and feathered legs. Its colors are different - blue, blue-speckled, “floury”, with or without striped belts.

Another breed is called the Swiss homing pigeon. His body is more rounded than his brother’s, his neck is stronger and slightly thicker. There can also be birds with and without belts, of different colors: black, blue, white, yellow, silver, yellow-speckled and reddish-speckled.

A giant among winged messengers

This amazing bird combines seemingly incompatible qualities: enormous size and speed. The homeland of the gigantic homing pigeon (another name for it is the giant homer) is America. The Hungarian pigeon breeders subsequently fell in love with him so much that they created an independent club.

This breed is externally distinguished by its stocky figure, physically developed chest, sloping back, and strong beak. Weight reaches 850 g.

There are monochromatic and variegated representatives of these birds. The color can be black, blue, white, red, blue and yellow. Silver plumage with brown belts is often seen. The color of the beak with a dark color is dark, but in some individuals it can be light, which is more valued by breeders. Eye color is predominantly orange or brown.

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