Carrier pigeons: spies, soldiers and photo reporters. How pigeon mail works Which pigeon will not leave the distance
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. Banal artificial street lighting can prevent the pigeon from returning home.
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 went along general route, close to their individual routes leading home. The fact is that pigeons are capable of obeying and following the leader, but if the pigeons’ routes are completely different or directed in different directions, 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.
Recently, research has 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 regular 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 this scientific discovery, it was difficult to determine which family the extinct dodo bird belonged to, since it was characterized by 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.
The ability of pigeons to navigate in space, as well as to find their way to their permanent place of residence from anywhere in the world, is truly amazing. A well-trained postal bird is able to accurately determine the direction and choose the right way even if you inject her with a large dose of anesthesia and in this state take her several thousand kilometers from her home. People were able to adapt such unique skills to their needs very usefully.
The first postal dovecote in Russia
To this day, no reliable information has been preserved about the exact time when carrier pigeons began to spread in Russia. The earliest materials that shed light on the creation of the official pigeon post date back to 1854. They tell the story of Prince Golitsyn's attempts to create bird routes for mail delivery. In particular, to establish quick communication between his estate in Moscow and the estate in the village of Sima, which was located 90 miles away.
No other sources containing earlier references to the official creation of pigeon mail in Russia have been found. From this we can conclude that until the 18th century, pigeons were used mainly for personal purposes. Namely, for the transmission of love notes and secret telegrams, which they tried to keep secret. Development at the state level, although successful, began much later.
In the next few decades, after the successful experience of Prince Golitsyn, the popularity of pigeon breeding rapidly gained momentum. The result was the creation in 1890 of the “Kyiv Society of Pigeon Sports”. After a short period of time, it was renamed the “Russian Society of Pigeon Sports”.
The organization quickly gained wide popularity. Until 1905, under her leadership, a special magazine “Bulletin of Pigeon Sports” was published and short and long distance competitions were regularly held. With the beginning of the well-known events of the October Revolution, work with pigeons gradually fell into decline and more or less began to recover only after 1925.
The first Russian military dovecotes
The idea of using smart birds to help Russian soldiers first came to the mind of Staff Captain Arendt in 1873. The man served in the Pechersk fortress as a parade ground adjutant and at the same time was training pigeons, which he bought from city fanciers or ordered from abroad.
The birds' training began early. From about three months they were accustomed to portable cages and regularly taken further and further from home, developing the ability to navigate. With proper persistence, the birds quickly improved their flight skills and endurance, allowing the best of them to fly for 12 hours without a break. The average speed was from 80 to 100 km.
The idea was successful, and in 1891 official pigeon communication lines began to be established throughout the country. The first of them ran between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Others connected a number of large stations on the western and southern borders.
Under General M.I. In Dragomirov, pigeon sport gained particular popularity. He repeatedly initiated competitions for winged postmen, trying to determine the fastest breed. The first bird to set a record for flight distance and speed was the speckled homing pigeon of the then famous Moscow pigeon breeder Domashkev. He managed to cover a distance of 537 km in six hours, developing average speed at 86 km/h.
“Military pigeon conscription in the USSR”
Contrary to all forecasts, modern means communications failed to relegate pigeon mail to other relics of the past. Moreover, during the Great Patriotic War in the USSR, birds were actively used in reconnaissance operations and for the delivery of important dispatches until 1945.
The first prerequisites for using carrier pigeons in the public service appeared much earlier - in 1928. Even then, at a meeting of the Council of Labor and Defense, a draft on “military pigeon conscription” was put to a vote. In 1929, it was approved by the order “On the adoption of the pigeon communication system into the country’s arsenal,” and a year later they developed the first of its kind combat training manual for military pigeon breeding units.
With the outbreak of hostilities, control over feathered postmen became much tighter. According to government orders, all pigeons were to be confiscated and destroyed from the population as an illegal means of communication. Those who refused to carry out the order were tried under martial law. It should be noted that concealment carried a double threat. During the German occupation, the discovery of birds threatened immediate execution, as the Germans were afraid that the birds would be used in partisan warfare.
What is the instinct to return home based on?
Upon closer examination, the ability of pigeons to navigate in space completely refutes the popular belief that birds are exceptionally stupid. Their brains are so well developed that they are capable of processing many different operations simultaneously. Pigeons use various information to determine their location relative to their home: geomagnetic landmarks, infrasounds, landscape features. In recent years, hypotheses have been put forward about the acute sense of smell of these birds, although previously such a version was refuted.
The structure of pigeon eyes is unique. They occupy a large area inside the skull and give the bird impressively sharp vision. A striking individual feature, alien to the human body, is selective focusing. Pigeons can “filter” visuals, obtained from the surrounding space, choosing only what is important to them at that moment and ignoring the rest. To determine the time of day, they do not need to open their eyes at all - they feel the difference between light and darkness with their skin.
Excellent memory and intelligence complement the sharp visual reactions of carrier pigeons, which allows them to form complex trajectories of movement and skillfully operate with them.
And one more mail secret - . It turns out that everything is not just like that.
The ability of pigeons to navigate in space, as well as to find their way to their permanent place of residence from anywhere in the world, is truly amazing. A well-trained postal bird is able to accurately determine the direction and choose the right path, even if it is given a large dose of anesthesia and in this state is taken several thousand kilometers from its home. People were able to adapt such unique skills to their needs very usefully.
The first postal dovecote in Russia
To this day, no reliable information has been preserved about the exact time when carrier pigeons began to spread in Russia. The earliest materials that shed light on the creation of the official pigeon post date back to 1854. They tell the story of Prince Golitsyn's attempts to create bird routes for mail delivery. In particular, to establish quick communication between his estate in Moscow and the estate in the village of Sima, which was located 90 miles away.Homing pigeons in a portable cage.
No other sources containing earlier references to the official creation of pigeon mail in Russia have been found. From this we can conclude that until the 18th century, pigeons were used mainly for personal purposes. Namely, for the transmission of love notes and secret telegrams, which they tried to keep secret. Development at the state level, although successful, began much later.
In the next few decades, after the successful experience of Prince Golitsyn, the popularity of pigeon breeding rapidly gained momentum. The result was the creation in 1890 of the “Kyiv Society of Pigeon Sports”. After a short period of time, it was renamed the “Russian Society of Pigeon Sports”.
The organization quickly gained wide popularity. Until 1905, under her leadership, a special magazine “Bulletin of Pigeon Sports” was published and short and long distance competitions were regularly held. With the beginning of the well-known events of the October Revolution, work with pigeons gradually fell into decline and more or less began to recover only after 1925.
The first Russian military dovecotes
The idea of using smart birds to help Russian soldiers first came to the mind of Staff Captain Arendt in 1873. The man served in the Pechersk fortress as a parade ground adjutant and at the same time was training pigeons, which he bought from city fanciers or ordered from abroad.Soldiers release pigeons from a portable cage.
The birds' training began early. From about three months they were accustomed to portable cages and regularly taken further and further from home, developing the ability to navigate. With proper persistence, the birds quickly improved their flight skills and endurance, allowing the best of them to fly for 12 hours without a break. The average speed was from 80 to 100 km.
The idea was successful, and in 1891 official pigeon communication lines began to be established throughout the country. The first of them ran between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Others connected a number of large stations on the western and southern borders.
Pigeons were equipped with cameras for aerial photography (1907).
Under General M.I. In Dragomirov, pigeon sport gained particular popularity. He repeatedly initiated competitions for winged postmen, trying to determine the fastest breed. The first bird to set a record for flight distance and speed was the speckled homing pigeon of the then famous Moscow pigeon breeder Domashkev. He managed to cover a distance of 537 km in six hours, reaching an average speed of 86 km/h.
“Military pigeon conscription in the USSR”
Contrary to all forecasts, modern means of communication have not been able to relegate pigeon mail to other relics of the past. Moreover, during the Great Patriotic War in the USSR, birds were actively used in reconnaissance operations and for the delivery of important dispatches until 1945.Carrier pigeons were actively used in the Great Patriotic War.
The first prerequisites for using carrier pigeons in the public service appeared much earlier - in 1928. Even then, at a meeting of the Council of Labor and Defense, a draft on “military pigeon conscription” was put to a vote. In 1929, it was approved by the order “On the adoption of the pigeon communication system into the country’s arsenal,” and a year later they developed the first of its kind combat training manual for military pigeon breeding units.
With the outbreak of hostilities, control over feathered postmen became much tighter. According to government orders, all pigeons were to be confiscated and destroyed from the population as an illegal means of communication. Those who refused to carry out the order were tried under martial law. It should be noted that concealment carried a double threat. During the German occupation, the discovery of birds threatened immediate execution, as the Germans were afraid that the birds would be used in partisan warfare.
What is the instinct to return home based on?
Upon closer examination, the ability of pigeons to navigate in space completely refutes the popular belief that birds are exceptionally stupid. Their brains are so well developed that they are capable of processing many different operations simultaneously. Pigeons use various information to determine their location relative to their home: geomagnetic landmarks, infrasounds, landscape features. In recent years, hypotheses have been put forward about the acute sense of smell of these birds, although previously such a version was refuted.A bus converted into a dovecote, which was used in France and Belgium during the First World War.
The structure of pigeon eyes is unique. They occupy a large area inside the skull and give the bird impressively sharp vision. A striking individual feature, alien to the human body, is selective focusing. Pigeons are able to “filter” the visuals received from the surrounding space, choosing only what is important to them at that moment and ignoring the rest. To determine the time of day, they do not need to open their eyes at all - they feel the difference between light and darkness with their skin.
Excellent memory and intelligence complement the sharp visual reactions of carrier pigeons, which allows them to form complex trajectories of movement and skillfully operate with them.
Pigeon mail today seems hopelessly outdated. But this is only at first glance. An experiment that took place in 1996 in the Baltic states showed that pigeons can still deliver correspondence much faster than ground and air mail. Therefore, this type of communication is still used in Switzerland, Cuba and a number of other countries.
Home!
The mechanism that helps pigeons find the right city, building, and even window is not fully understood. For now, scientists call it the instinct of returning home - homing. And the pigeon brain itself is a natural computer. As a joke, of course. But, as you know, there is some truth in every joke: the brain of this small bird is unusually developed, because pigeons not only know how to collect information through the senses, but are also able to process and store it - in quite large volumes.
The eyes play a major role in collecting information.
Somehow, pigeons are able to filter out everything unnecessary and remember only what can be useful to them. Therefore, visual impressions are the most important in a bird navigator.
In addition, pigeons navigate by the sun, however, this mechanism does not work at night: lit lanterns throw the bird off course...
Some researchers believe that pigeons, unlike other birds, capture odors, thanks to which their brain develops a “map of aromas” - both domestic and those brought by the wind. Being far from their habitat, they simply “sniff” the air and thus determine in which direction to fly.
However, an experiment conducted by a group of German scientists in 2011 showed that smells are still not a sufficient guide for pigeons. Many birds taken to mountainous areas often stopped on their way back, as if looking for Additional information. Moreover, those experimental subjects whose right nostril was previously closed by the researchers had difficulty returning. The fact is that it is there that pigeons have a “magnetic receptor” system, which allows even tiny chicks to remember the level of magnetic intensity of the Earth near their nest. Moreover, this information is stored in the bird’s head forever.
In 2013, scientists were able to find out that the pigeon’s ear perceives infrasound arising from the movement of the earth’s crust. At the same time, each place for a bird sounds differently. At this sound she flies towards the house.
It is no less surprising that pigeons, which have lived next to people since ancient times, have learned to “use” their roads! In 241 BC. There was a coastal route between Rome and Gaul, along which pigeon mail followed. So, modern pigeons They continue to fly along the same route, although there has been no road there for a long time. Therefore, information about air routes is passed on from generation to generation by pigeons. But it has not yet been possible to find out exactly how.
Letters from the Past
They knew how to send letters back in the countries of the Ancient World. In the notes of Pliny the Elder you can find information about how in 43 BC. the city of Mutina was besieged and its commandant Brutus notified the consul Hirtius about it via pigeon mail. And he quickly sent help to the besieged.
Most often, “winged dispatches” fluttered in wartime, when the fate of entire nations depended on the speed of mail delivery. Thus, in 1249, carrier pigeons helped the Egyptian Sultan Nur ad-Din deliver the news to Sultan Najm ad-Din in time that the port of Damietta had been captured by the French. The sultans joined forces and liberated the territory. Later Nur ad-Din organized a network of pigeon towers throughout the country. Then trained birds cost fabulous money - a thousand denarii per pair.
In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, communication between besieged Paris and the city of Tours was carried out through pigeon mail. These were messages, greatly reduced, captured on film. Each pigeon carried up to 20 such messages. Of course, the Germans knew about this. At first they fired at the feathered postmen, and then they began to set falcons on them. But the resourceful French came up with the idea of attaching whistles to the tails of pigeons, which during the flight scared away predators with their nasty sound.
In 1815, carrier pigeons served Jacob and Nathan Rothschild well. When Napoleon returned to power, the stock exchanges were in turmoil. We were waiting to see how the Battle of Waterloo would end. In the French army, the Rothschilds had their own agents who had carrier pigeons. While Napoleon was on his way to victory, British shares fell in price, and after the French were defeated, their value increased sharply. Pigeon mail promptly delivered reports on the progress of the battle to the Rothschilds. Thanks to this, they learned about the outcome of the battle before others and bought shares at the lowest price. And from this they made a substantial capital.
Russian experience
According to written sources, the founder of pigeon mail in Russia in 1854 was Prince Golitsyn, who thus established communication between his Moscow home and his estate, located 90 miles away. However, it is impossible to say that no one has thought of this before. Most likely, some kind of personal correspondence had long been transmitted with the pigeons, which needed to be kept secret.
Another Russian who used pigeons to deliver mail was in 1873 the staff captain, adjutant of the Pechersk fortress Arendt. He began training homing birds and managed to achieve amazing results: pigeons could stay in the air for 12 hours at a time and “accelerate” up to 100 km/h. Arendt's successes in 1891 became the impetus for the creation of a pigeon communication line between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and later in other directions. But there is no limit to perfection. Soon a new record was set. The trained birds of pigeon breeder Domashkev were able to cover more than 500 km at a speed of 86 km/h in 6 hours.
In 1890, the “Russian Society of Pigeon Sports” appeared in Russia. It published its own magazine and regularly held pigeon flight distance competitions. After the revolution, business began to decline and began to revive only after 1925. And in 1929, pigeons were called up for public service. Then the order “On the adoption of the pigeon communication system into the country’s arsenal” was approved, within the framework of which manuals for combat training of military pigeon breeding units were developed.
Winged report
The 20th century in human history turned out to be the bloodiest. One after another, two wars swept across the world. And both pigeons found work. Thus, during the First World War, birds were first used for espionage purposes. Small cameras were attached to the pigeons’ necks and they were sent “on a mission”: to film enemy units. There was also a pigeon post service. There is a known case when a bird delivered an important message to the addressee on time and thereby saved a British army unit from death. As a token of gratitude, the pigeon was awarded the rank of colonel in the British Army. He went through the entire war in this rank, and when his time came, he was interred with all the honors due to a colonel.
During World War II, carrier pigeons delivered about 15 thousand letters, 98% of which reached their recipients. True, in the USSR pigeons belonging to civilian population, were equated to an illegal means of communication, and therefore were subject to destruction. Failure to comply with this order was punishable under the laws of war... And on both sides! After all, the Germans who found themselves in the occupied territories were afraid that Soviet citizens would maintain contact with the partisans using pigeons.
Kira Stoletova
Nowadays, pigeons are associated with beauty and are valued for their appearance. But not so long ago, people used them to transmit information to each other. Can you imagine anything more romantic than receiving a letter sent with a winged one? The article just talks about what pigeon mail is and how it works.
Story
The Old Testament testifies that pigeon mail already existed then. It was the dove that Noah released, and he was confident of its return. Later, this method of transmitting information spread to countries such as China and Greece. And in 1167, the first state pigeon post appeared in Egypt, for which it was ordered to build many special towers. This is the only way information was transmitted. The first breeds of homing pigeons were Bagdets, Skanderuns and Carriers.
If we talk about the emergence of such a means of communication in Russia, then the beginning was made by wars. Princess Olga, wanting to avenge the death of her husband, took tribute from the Drevlyans in pigeons and sparrows. The opponents happily agreed, and she ordered that dry branches be tied to the paws of the birds and set on fire. Knowing that every dove would return home, she was able to destroy an entire settlement of enemies.
More romantic information about the first love letters from monasteries to their lovers still inspires refined natures to such actions.
Later, with the help of pigeon mail, communication between states was established. There was no other means of communication over long distances.
Operating principle
So how does pigeon post work?
The pigeon has the instinct to return home, in addition, the birds are very hardy and can fly hundreds of kilometers. Maximum flight speed is 70 km/h. The birds also have excellent knowledge of the terrain and easily find their way back to the nest.
Facts indicate that birds have:
- acute vision;
- phenomenal memory, with the help of which the bird remembers a route compiled on the basis of visual perception.
Only certain breeds are used to transmit information. They can be easily distinguished from others by their size (they are larger than their counterparts) and massive beak. Peculiarities appearance The postmen are clearly visible in the photo. The homing pigeon must be capable of learning, endurance and be able to fly quickly.
Postal birds are able to fly about 1100 km. Among the many breeds there are German, Russian, Belgian and Hungarian. Any of them is capable of working in pigeon mail for up to 20 years.
How is everything going? The note is sealed in a capsule and attached to the bird's leg. Wary of predators such as the hawk, two pigeons are often sent at once with similar messages.
This form of communication existed even before the advent of the telephone and the Internet, but even today pigeon mail continues to be used.
Training
It is important to understand that not every pigeon is capable of this. Yes, birds are also all different: there are capable and not so capable, fast and lazy.
As soon as the chick learns to fly by the third week of life, its training begins immediately. During the first days, winged birds are allowed to fly only under the supervision of an experienced adult male, who returns home without any problems. At first, training takes place at a close distance from the habitat.
Feeding immediately after the flight allows you to stimulate the subsequent return home. You also need to solve the problem of choosing a partner, otherwise there is a risk that the bird will choose itself and fly away to him.
The British distinguished themselves with an original idea: passing notes using birds during traffic jams.
In general, no progress would have been made modern world, every woman in her soul will desire beautiful romantic deeds and exquisite gestures of attention. Delivering a love message to such ancient and in an original way- one of the most effective ways to win the heart of your beloved.
