Although many consider them a nuisance and sometimes even a pest, pigeons possess many abilities and remarkable conditions that are worthy of attention. In this article we tell you about some of those skills. Surely the next time you see a pigeon in a square your thoughts towards it will change!
- Wild pigeons are descended from rock pigeons. Humanity itself domesticated the species centuries ago to use them for food and also for their peculiar navigational ability. There are usually many pigeons in cities because buildings mimic their natural habitat of cliffs and they also feed on waste.
- They are able to find a way. Through smell, landmarks and infrasound, homing pigeons can find their way. There is no major difference between the pigeon you see on the city streets and a carrier pigeon. Simply if it lives in a habitat as a captive pigeon or if it lives outdoors in the city,
- They learn routes. Pigeons can learn routes from each other. They also tend to follow each other. A curious detail is that they tend to mate for life and are very attentive parents to their chicks.
- Charles Darwin used them in his studies. The naturalist was fond of pigeons and in his book The Origin of Species he used them as an example of the diversity they possess, to develop his ideas about natural selection.
- They are the most decorated animals in history. These birds hold the record for being the most decorated animals in history: 32 pigeons received the Dickin Medal. It is a decoration awarded by the British government for confronting the enemy during the world wars. Pigeons delivered vital messages between battalions and flew with cameras, among other missions.
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