If you grew up watching Sesame Street you may have sung along to Bert “Doin’ the Pigeon.” Burt genuinely loved pigeons and found them extremely fascinating. Many children learned to love pigeons while singing the catchy pigeon song. As you got older you may have changed your opinion of pigeons though. Most adults think of pigeons as annoying, dirty birds that poop everywhere and try to roost on your roof. What do you really knowing about pigeons though? A-Tex Pest Management has found some interesting facts about pigeons that you probably do not know.
Where Do Pigeons Come From?
Many people do not know that pigeons have been around since 3000 BC. They are like the first domesticated bird. Archaeologists found images of pigeons in Mesopotamia. They bred white pigeons back in this time. In ancient times some cultures found white pigeons to be sacred and worshiped them.
How Do Carrier Pigeons Navigate?
Pigeons are able to navigate to and from places 100’s of miles away. There are many different theories about why pigeons are able to navigate. Oxford University did a 10-year study on pigeons to see if they could determine how they are able to successfully navigate their way through the world. The study revealed that they use roads to navigate. It is also suggested that pigeons use the earth’s magnetic fields to navigate. Their ability to navigate made them extremely useful during the First and Second World Wars. They saved thousands of human lives by carrying messages across enemy lines. Pigeons would carry messages about ships that were sinking after they got attacked. Many survivors were rescued after messages were taken back to land by pigeons. Pigeons were also used to gather intelligence behind enemy lines. Pigeons were actually used in Syria and Persia in the 5th century BC to develop a large scale communication network. The pigeons would deliver messages from one town or city to another. Baghdad, Syria, and Egypt also used pigeons to carry messages in the 12th century AD. Pigeons were the sole source of communication these days. Pigeons were also used to deliver the results of different sporting events.
Are Pigeons Smarter than Dogs?
Some scientists claim that pigeons are excellent multitaskers. One scientist put together a study with 15 humans and 12 pigeons. He trained all of them to complete simple jobs. Then they were put in different situations where they had to stop working on one job to start the other job. Pigeons were faster in transitioning from one task to the next.
Pigeons Bobbing Their Heads?
As pigeons walk it looks like they are bobbing their heads. Pigeons have side-mounted eyes. The side-mounted eyes give them a monocular vision that requires them to bob their heads so they can improve their depth perception. They are able to see stationary images best. When they take a step forward the head is temporarily left behind. The second step jerks their head forward again and creates the bobbing effect that pigeons are known for.
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Despite all of these cool facts about pigeons, most people do not find them endearing. If you have pigeons that have taken up residence on your roof you are probably extremely frustrated. Getting rid of pigeons is a process that typically requires professional help. A-Tex Pest Management offers pigeon prevention and protection for your home. Give us a call today!