On Being Pigeon

The other day, a close friend of mine was sharing her story about befriending a pigeon while visiting Koronos in Naxos. She was young, travelling alone & a nature admirer. I can easily visualize her welcoming the avian courter to her inns balcony & tantalizing him with bread crumbs & whispered coos. Apparently, upon arrival, he could really strut his stuff but then settle in to simply enjoy the company offered, attracted to the woman’s gentle energy.

On the short street I grew up on, we had a neighbour who kept pigeons in his backyard. My parents showed little interest but I was periodically invited into the loft of mystery to watch him tend the birds. Back in the simpler sixties, he was a humble man who came home from his autobody shop job & melted into his hobby as pigeon keeper, speaking reverently to the small group of specialized flyers like they were his children. He was a WW2 veteran & a quiet soul.

The intent here is not so much to educate, but to remind. I think pigeons are underrated & underappreciated, perhaps considered a nuisance by some. This I get having allowed rock pigeons to use my barns for shelter, their droppings falling on all items found below their lofty rafter perches. However, there is just something historically & culturally cool about this remarkable bird, as well, there iridescent blue-green hues a striking addition to their intelligent, knowing eye.

And what do they know? The pigeons unwavering spirit to be an accomplice in human evolution no matter how much human beings have attempted to inflict carnage upon them is worth re-visiting. The Passenger Pigeon, as an example of complete extirpation, was reduced in North America from a flock of billions to extinction in a matter of decades. There are over 30 species of pigeon the world over, many providing a key service to humanity, including dietary. However, their story is much more than just being a tasty morsel or passing messy inconvenience. The pigeon as recreational & working ally is worth a quick peek & our consideration.

For millennia, our friend the pigeon has been exactly that. The ‘Messenger’ pigeon has been employed in the worlds four corners from serving Genghis Khan & other Asian dynasties as the original Amazon delivery network to being the ‘Pigeon Postal’ system of mail delivery complete with stampage on the islands of New Zealand. From ancient India to Persia, Portugal to Indonesia, the pigeon was the primary & original facebook messenger. Imagine, being able to confidently count on a bird to deliver a critical message 1000 kilometers distant. Just wow!

The navigational skill sets of pigeons have been studied for centuries. Employing magnetoreception to triangulate their physical location, pigeons possess an extraordinarily sophisticated radar. Augmented by iron particles above their beaks, these align to the earth’s electromagnetic pulses as well as an ability to process infrasound, olfactory navigation & detection of physical & visual landmarks & of course changes in natural light allowing our friend the pigeon to serve us as a secure communication & homing vessel. And serve they have!

Beginning in the 19^th century, the pigeons service trajectory as ‘war pigeon’ really took off. In WW1, Carrier pigeons served all facets of the military, a dependence which could be lifesaving. Most resistance movements communicated with their ally’s using carrier or homing pigeons. Operatives working behind enemy lines were always outfitted with cages of carriers, the discreet logistical care of the birds a challenging task. Pigeon heroics were widespread & many were decorated for their contributions to saving lives & changing conflict outcomes.

RAF bomber crews regularly flew with cages of carrier pigeons in case they crashed & had no traditional comms. The same with ships & boats at sea. Lives were saved by solo pigeons released to message Command that rescue was required. Timers were set & sent with the pigeon so Command would have an idea how far out to sea the distressed vessel was. Sailors actually afloat in the sea were saved this way, lucky to find a bobbing pigeon cage close at hand.

Fast, racing blooded homing pigeons served as integral parts of the communication plan for Operation Market Garden & were parachuted behind Nazi lines into the Netherlands to support paratroopers & liberation forces. The Axis armies used trained snipers to shoot down pigeons. The Nazi’s employed falcons & hawks to locate & kill carriers & homers; the aerial battles over Europe not just for the realm of bombers & fighter aircraft, but for brave birds, too. In one case, a wounded, one-eyed pigeon flew three return sorties for a one-day total distance of 700 miles.

The courage of our pigeon allies in times of strife & in response to emergencies is notable around the globe. Mostly retired from war duty, pigeons are likely to be found racing these days. Of course, before computing, pigeons were used in all sorts of non-war capacities. Stock exchanges used pigeons to fly results between cities until 1966. Sporting events used pigeons to fly updates, Las Vegas being a huge employer until the 70’s. Of course, nefarious enterprises use ‘carriers’ to deliver drugs & contraband, especially from water to land or yacht to balcony, even to this day. No matter. The stalwart pigeon has partnered with humans on many a specialized enterprise.

When ever the time comes for taking life a little easier, I might consider keeping a few racers out the side of the garage. Who really knows the inner workings of pigeons or how they truly navigate. Mystery is part of the beauty of nature. It’s the little things that run the world. My friend in Greece understood this attachment & remembered the connection. I understand the context better when my elder veteran neighbour, while petting his pigeon named Grace, told me, “They looked after me once, now I’ll look after them.”

The grand ole pigeon; on a wing and a prayer.