Carrier pigeon - what breeds of birds can be postmen. How does pigeon mail work? Why were the most important letters transmitted only by pigeons? This is incredible

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. The appearance features of 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.

Medical courier. In Plymouth, the birds delivered blood to a laboratory located far from the hospital. This method turned out to be faster than conventional transport.

The British distinguished themselves with an original idea: passing notes using birds during traffic jams.

In general, no matter how much progress the modern world has reached, every woman in her soul will desire beautiful romantic deeds and exquisite gestures of attention. Delivering a love message in such an ancient and original way is one of the most effective ways to win the heart of your beloved.

Pigeon mail is thousands of years old. During this time, pigeons brought millions of letters, saved thousands of people, and performed dozens of feats. A huge number of pigeons have been awarded orders and showered with all sorts of honors. The amazing ability of pigeons to quickly and accurately find their way from any point to their native nest has long been noticed by people. A trained bird will return home, even if it is taken a considerable distance in a state of deep anesthesia.

Pigeons were domesticated by humans in Egypt approximately 5,000 years ago.

Egyptian and Greek navigators from the 16th century BC. e. reported home about their arrival. Pigeons can cover considerable distances. And although it is believed that a pigeon cannot fly more than 1,100 kilometers, there is evidence of some record holders who have covered much greater distances. On average, a pigeon flies at a speed of 80-100 kilometers per hour, i.e. faster than a train. On themselves they are able to carry loads equal to a third of their own weight, namely about 80–90 grams.

Scientists call the pigeon a natural computer. After all, only these winged postmen can choose one from thousands of cities, one from hundreds of streets, one from dozens of houses.

In general, returning home is called in one term homing . Pigeons fly only home, i.e. in one direction, and not back and forth with the same pigeon, as someone might think. In other words, if you are going on a trip and intend to send letters home with the help of pigeons, then you need to take them with you on the road from home, as separate luggage, and if necessary, write a letter and send them away.

For pigeon mail, special breeds of pigeons were bred - hardy, strong, real machines of muscles and perfectly oriented in the area. The pigeons even carried miniature cameras for photography.

A pigeon lives on average 20 years and in 90% of cases returns home safe and sound, which is why pigeon mail has become so widespread.

Immediately after the chick is born, its brain remembers the level of magnetic intensity in the area of the nest and now this level serves as the starting point for all its movements.

Many believed that pigeons navigate by the stars and the sun, but numerous experiments have not confirmed this theory. There are cases when blind pigeons returned home. Another version of their orientation is that they remember old roads, but again, in case of blindness or eye damage, there can be no talk of any roads. Theories of movement by smell have been put forward.

The clearest and most scientifically formulated version to date of how pigeons find their way - infrasound

Pigeons hear infrasound - sound vibrations with a frequency of less than 10 hertz. Any area on our glider has its own unique infrasound map - infrasound has a different origin - from natural (earthquakes, storms, hurricanes, shifts of the earth's crust, even communication of whales) to man-made (machines, factories, mechanisms). The fact that pigeons use this particular infrasound map has been scientifically proven - pigeons were released from three different points in one city, but those released from one point did not always fly. It turned out that it was at that point that there was an acoustic shadow zone and the pigeons got lost.

And some facts about the work of pigeon mail

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, pigeon post stations were established in cities and fortresses throughout Europe, where two types of pigeons were kept, “friends” and “strangers”. The nest of “their” pigeons was at the station. There was a friend and chicks in this nest. “Alien” pigeons were brought from other stations. From time to time, “their” pigeons also went on special transport on a “business trip”. As a result, it turned out that at each pigeon station there were always several birds ready to return to their native nests and take with them a specially prepared letter.

Pigeon post demonstrated its effectiveness during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871. Paris was besieged by German troops, but postal communication with the capital was not interrupted thanks to carrier pigeons. A carrier pigeon covered a distance of 220 kilometers from Paris to Tours in at most 4 hours, which made it possible to report on events within one day. Pigeon mail involved 73 carrier pigeons, which transmitted 150 thousand official dispatches and about 1 million private letters during the 140 days of the siege of Paris.

During the Great Patriotic War, signal pigeons were used mainly in the interests of the reconnaissance departments of armies, although they were sometimes used for operational communications. So, during the battle for Moscow, a stationary pigeon communication station was specially created on the basis of the nursery of the Central School of Communications for Dog Breeding and Pigeon Breeding. Here pigeons were trained in 7 main and several auxiliary areas near Moscow. In total, 80 soldiers served at four pigeon stations, in charge of which were 90 light portable pigeon coops (baskets), each of which could accommodate 6 pigeons. 500 pigeons were distributed (trained) in 22 directions and worked reliably within a radius of 10-15 km, delivering up to 100 pigeongrams per day.

Scheme of organizing two-way pigeon communication in battles during the crossing of the river. Great June 23-26, 1944

During the Great Patriotic War, the country carried out “pigeon mobilization” - some birds were confiscated from the local population for the needs of the army. They were intensively used for the delivery of dispatches - for example, during the fighting in the Baltic states in 1944, an average of 85 reports were delivered by carrier pigeons in one day. Remembering the ability of the “birds of heaven” to easily overcome the front line, both the Soviet and German commands sought by all means to remove them from the civilian population. On December 19, 1941, when the Germans were approaching Moscow, the city commandant issued an order: “In order to prevent hostile elements from using pigeons held by private individuals, I order the pigeons to be handed over to the Police Department (38 Petrovka St.) within three days.” Persons who do not surrender the pigeons will be held accountable under the laws of war.” Naturally, on Petrovka they were only interested in carrier pigeons.

During the Great Patriotic War in the occupied territories, the German command considered all pigeons as potential “spies”: they were confiscated from the local population and destroyed, and the most purebred ones were sent to Germany.

Today, due to the development of other means of communication, most pigeon mail services have been disbanded, but in some countries they have survived and are still operating. For example, in India, on election day, pigeons deliver mail to hard-to-reach areas, in Switzerland, birds help deliver emergency messages, and in the English city of Plymouth, pigeons transport blood samples from hospitals to research laboratories.

Some criminal elements still use pigeon mail for their “deeds”. Just recently, Kuwaiti police intercepted a pigeon with a bag of drugs.

And about hero pigeons

Homing pigeon No. 888 was promoted to the rank of colonel. After his death, he was interred with all the honors due to the funeral of high-ranking military personnel.

The pigeon Cher Ami (from the French "Cher Ami" - Dear Friend) during the Battle of Verdun during the First World War helped rescue the "Lost Battalion" of the 77th Division, which was surrounded: a few hours after he delivered a message about it battalion (with a wound in the chest, bloodshot eyes and a shot off paw), 194 people were saved. The bird received a gold medal from the American Homing Pigeon Society and the French Croix de Guerre.

A British pigeon named Commando, as part of the National Pigeon Service, worked for British intelligence agents behind the front lines: he made three missions into Nazi-occupied France with vital intelligence information, for which, at the end of the war, he was awarded the Mary Dickin Medal (the highest British military award for animals).

11.12.2017, 18:24

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Pigeons were domesticated by humans in Egypt approximately 5,000 years ago.

Scientists call the pigeon a natural computer. After all, only these winged postmen can choose one from thousands of cities, one from hundreds of streets, one from dozens of houses.

For pigeon mail, special breeds of pigeons were bred - hardy, strong, real machines of muscles and perfectly oriented in the area. The pigeons even carried miniature cameras for photography.

A pigeon lives on average 20 years and in 90% of cases returns home safe and sound, which is why pigeon mail has become so widespread.

Immediately after the chick is born, its brain remembers the level of magnetic intensity in the area of the nest and now this level serves as the starting point for all its movements.

The clearest and most scientifically formulated version to date of how pigeons find their way - infrasound

And some facts about the work of pigeon mail

Scheme of organizing two-way pigeon communication in battles during the crossing of the river. Great June 23-26, 1944

Some criminal elements still use pigeon mail for their “deeds”. Just recently, Kuwaiti police intercepted a pigeon with a bag of drugs.

And about hero pigeons

Homing pigeon No. 888 was promoted to the rank of colonel. After his death, he was interred with all the honors due to the funeral of high-ranking military personnel.

11.12.2017, 18:24

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Since man tamed the dog, horse and cow, he has learned to be attentive to the animal world and noticed the powerful connection of pigeons with their nest and home. Because of these unique skills (to navigate the terrain and effortlessly cover long distances), people began to use pigeons to transmit messages. Pigeon mail is rightfully considered an important element in the progress of human civilization.

One of the first mentions of pigeon mail can be found in the Bible when Noah released a dove in search of land and it returned to the ark with a twig.

The first pigeon post was created by the head of all Egypt, Nuretdin, back in 1167. By his order, high post towers were built throughout the city. Not only in Egypt, but also in Greece, the dove was revered as a sacred bird.

History also mentions that it was war and political conflicts that laid the foundation for pigeon mail in Russia. Princess Olga was also remembered in history for her cunning method of revenge on the Drevlyans. For the brutal death of her husband, Olga took a small tribute from the Drevlyans in the form of doves and sparrows. The Drevlyans were delighted with such a small request, collected the required number of birds and gave them to her. The princess ordered dry twigs to be tied to the pigeons' legs, set on fire, and the birds released. The pigeons, naturally, returned to their native homes and nests, unwittingly burning the entire settlement of the Drevlyans.

From legends we learn interesting facts about the first romantic correspondence, for which pigeon mail was chosen. For example, the Turks regularly sent letters from monasteries to their ladies. Soon, dovecotes were built at many courtyards, thus maintaining contact with other states. Without pigeon mail, people of the Middle Ages would have been almost completely deprived of communication.

Pigeon instinct

Let's take a closer look at how pigeon mail works. It already existed in all European cities at the beginning of the twentieth century. At each station there were “our own” pigeons and imported, “strangers”. At the right moment, one of them was chosen, a folded message in a tube was attached to his leg, and the bird rushed to its home. To deliver an important message over a long distance, two pigeons were sent to avoid loss of information or in case one of them died.

It is no coincidence that pigeons are surprisingly well oriented in space. From birth, they have a “magnetic radar” in their beak, which is hidden under the feather cover at the base of the “nose”. It is this that allows the bird to determine the magnetic field around its home. Wherever the pigeon is, it will certainly be able to find those very frequencies of its home and find the right path. This amazing pigeon instinct is called “homing”.

The pigeon is capable of covering 100-300 km at a time, while its flight speed is 70 km/h. Specially trained pigeons can cover distances of 1000 km. The sun and well-developed visual memory help pigeons navigate space. The pigeon’s brain is capable of processing a large amount of information, and its memory is able to select exactly that window from thousands of similar ones.

Features of training

Not every bird can become a carrier pigeon. There are lazy and active, capable and not so capable.

It is better to start training pigeons in the third week from birth, when they have boldly learned to fly. First, they are released nearby, introduced to the surroundings and their home, accompanied by a wise leader, so that he can definitely return home. For the first training, choose a short distance from home.

To instill a love of flying in pigeons, just like in people, it is nice to return home, where they are always welcome. It is important here to carefully catch them upon arrival and feed them. It is worth taking care about choosing a partner for birds, otherwise they themselves will choose a spouse in another place and will never come back, but pigeons unite once and for life.

Interesting facts and cases from the history of pigeon mail

Smuggler bird. At the behest of Napoleon, precious stones were transported from England to France under the wings of postmen.
A bird with the smell of death. Scientist Andre from Sweden wanted to reach the North Pole in a hot air balloon, taking a pigeon with him on the trip. Only the bird managed to return from the eternal ice.
Postman bird. During World War II, many of these birds were used. With their help, a lot of important information was transmitted.
Carrier bird. In Plymouth, pigeons transported blood samples from a hospital to a laboratory 3 km away. This was much faster than transporting it by transport. The advantages of pigeon mail were noted by one agency “Reitar” in England; they used pigeon mail during traffic jams and busy highways to transmit short messages.

Many people wrongly consider pigeon mail to be an archaic fashion. The rarest instinct of pigeons, called “homing” by scientists, has made these birds the best postmen since ancient times. We invite you to find out how carrier pigeons came about and what they are like from our article with interesting photos and videos.

Pigeon mail is one of the most ancient methods of transmitting messages at a distance, in which letters were delivered using pigeons. The first reports of such mail can be found in the Old Testament, where Noah releases a dove from the ark and then waits for its return. Pigeon mail was used in Ancient China, Greece, and Egypt. It is known that during the Gallic War, Caesar sent messages to his supporters in Rome using pigeon mail.

For the first time, the state pigeon post was created by the ruler of Egypt and Syria, Sultan Nureddin. At his behest, a large number of postal pigeon towers were erected in 1167. The Sultan also learned from a dovegram that the crusaders landed in Egypt in 1249. At that time, carrier pigeons such as Carriers, Bagdet and Skanderun were used for communication.

The principle of pigeon mail

How does pigeon mail work? A pigeon tied to its permanent habitat will always return to its nest as soon as the opportunity arises. Birds fly hundreds of kilometers at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour to deliver a note attached to their leg - a pigeongram. At the same time, they are excellent at navigating unfamiliar terrain and will always find their way home.

Even current scientists cannot fully understand the mechanism that allows pigeons to choose a flight direction that leads to home. The pigeon's brain is so developed that it can be called a natural computer. This computer can receive, process and store large amounts of information. Pigeons have acute vision and excellent memory, thanks to which they determine their flight route based on visual impressions. Living close to people, birds learned to use their roads.

In addition, pigeons have a special “internal magnet” located at the base of their beak. With its help, the hatched chick determines the level of magnetic tension around its nest and remembers it for life.

Postman breeds

Carrier pigeons are considered one of the oldest. The main difference is that they have a powerful, thick beak, and the birds themselves are large. Most have a well-developed cere and ring around the eye. Pigeons of these breeds were bred from the very beginning to deliver information, so high demands were placed on them in terms of endurance, flight speed and the ability to learn.

They can cover a distance of up to 1100 kilometers. In the video and photo you can see all the distinctive features of postmen. there are a lot, among them there are Russian, German, English, Belgian, Czech and Hungarian.

Russian postal

Russian carrier pigeons have a very graceful head and a sharp beak. The wings of birds are very strong, pressed tightly to the body, their ends are curved. The legs are long and have no feathers. The eyes are orange-red in color and have white rings around them. The plumage of Russian carrier pigeons is most often white, but there are variegated varieties.

German

These birds were bred as a result of the work of German breeders, who used English and Dutch pigeons to develop the breed. It was assumed that the pigeon would be early maturing, beautiful and capable of flying quickly. The result was a compact bird with an elongated neck and shortened beak, long legs, a short tail and wide eyes. The color of the plumage of this breed varies; there are white, brown, gray, yellow and red tones. Oh look in this video.

English

They are descendants of Carriers, who were bred in Egypt and the countries of the East. They were brought to the European continent in the 14th century, where the breed was improved and modern Quarries with magnificent appearance and flying qualities arose. The English quarry has a large body, stiff feathers, a small head and large brown eyes with large eyelids. The beak of English breed pigeons is thick, long, straight and also has wart-like growths. The plumage of this breed can be variegated or gray, black, white, yellow, chestnut.

Belgian

This is a fairly old breed, which was improved in the 19th century by the Homer and Turbit breeds. Pigeons of this breed have a round body with a well-shaped chest, a round head and a medium-sized neck. The eyes are dark in color and the eyelids are pale. The Belgian's wings are pressed tightly to the back, and the tail is narrow. The legs are small, the feathers are short, fitting tightly to the body. The color of this breed can be very different: blue, red, gray, yellow, brown, black.

Dragons

Pigeons of this breed immediately began to be used as pigeon post, because they flew well and showed excellent orientation in the area.

Distinctive features of the breed are a dense body, a round head that widens towards the neck, and large red-yellow eyes. Dragons have a long, tightly closed beak, a short neck and a raised, rounded chest. The wings of birds are long and strong, their tips lie on the drooping tail. Pigeons of this breed are hyperactive and do not have high requirements for housing and feeding conditions.