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When you exchange the number of pigeons, do they need to observe the travel back to City A to set directional bearings, or do you need to keep them in darkness
by FilterSweep 11y ago
When you exchange the number of pigeons, do they need to observe the travel back to City A to set directional bearings, or do you need to keep them in darkness so they will return to City B out of pure instinct?
Apologies for my ignorance, asking for myself and a friend....
- hguant 11y agoAccording to this [1] nature article, homing pigeons have an innate sense of where 'home' is and can use the Earth's magnetic field to point themselves in the right direction, thanks to iron in their beaks. They don't need to 'learn' the path, like some migratory birds - they have a built in GPS. Which is kind of neat, when you think about it. [1] http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041122/full/news041122-7.html http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041122/full/news041122-7.htm...