# So All Pigeons Are Homing Pigeons!!



## pigeonkeeper (Apr 12, 2008)

HI, this is pigeonkeeper!! i found out that all pigeons are homing pigeons!! my cousin said that all pigeons have this magnitudal feild in their bodies that let them know where the north and south pole is and that's how they find they're way home!! he also said that homing pigeons(the ones that race), are the ones that just fly faster than other pigeons. that's why they're called homing pigeons!! is this true??

THANKS!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

no one really knows why homers find their way home....the racers are bred for their hominng ability and they are atheletes of the pigeon world...now take a fan tail and he would most likly get lost and never find home and same with the other breeds that are not homing pigeons.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

Some pigeons have 'had the brains bred right out of thier heads'. Just like me, I could 'own' a map but have no idea how to 'read' it, I'm dislexic!
So some breeds just can't 'read the map', that ability was lost in favor of looks.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Then why do Roller pigeons get lost?


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

Charis said:


> Then why do Roller pigeons get lost?


Cause they're to dizzy to fly straight  LOL


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

pigeonkeeper said:


> HI, this is pigeonkeeper!! i found out that all pigeons are homing pigeons!! my cousin said that all pigeons have this magnitudal feild in their bodies that let them know where the north and south pole is and that's how they find they're way home!! he also said that homing pigeons(the ones that race), are the ones that just fly faster than other pigeons. that's why they're called homing pigeons!! is this true??
> 
> THANKS!!


All pigeons are not homing pigeons. All pigeons are pigeons though!! 
Any breed that isn't a homing pigeon can and most likely will get lost if it gets further from home than the front yard. Heck, even all homing pigeons can't find their way home.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

All decendants of the rock dove HAVE 'homing ability', or else when you let them go, they'd fly away like ringneck doves or parrots, or any other caged bird. However, homing/racing pigeons are the only ones capable to flying distances without getting lost, and can be 'trained' to come back from far away. English Carriers are probably next in line as far as homing ability goes, but nothing can match a homing pigeon. The breeds bred more for other characteristics like rolling, certain physical features, etc, have lost all but just that little bit of homing instinct to return to its home because they were not bred for homing. Homing pigeons wouldn't be homing pigeons if we hadn't picked out the best of the best homing wise, to breed together.
I believe the magnetic chip theory has been at least semi-proven, at least to say that they do in fact have it in their beak/head. They just can't say for sure that's what they use. I'm also pretty sure they may not be the only birds in the world that have those chips, I think some migratory birds have been said to have them too? On top of the magnetic field theory, they say that like the migratory birds, they use the sun, and there's also the fact pigeons see, smell, and hear very well. So those are good tools in getting home too probably 
Also about the difference between racing and homing pigeons. All racers are homers but not all homers are racers  Racing pigeons are simply homing pigeons that have been bred for superior speed, homing, endurance, shape, etc., that they would need to be the best for races. So basically, a racing pigeon is not a racing pigeon unless it has been raced. Otherwise, it's just a homer with a pedigree. Homing pigeons in general, racing or not, are the fastest pigeons and the fastest birds in level flight. But like I said, some are faster than others because of what they were bred for.

Or at least, that's all my opinion.


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

Seriously Pigeonkeeper - I've wondered that myself and have only skimmed the surface of research available on the web. But I expect it's highly unlikely that ALL pigeons have the homing instinct given the extensive list of Pigeon breeds -- check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pigeon_breeds

I found this citation on the IEEE web site "Summary: Homing pigeons appear to use both a "map" and "compass" system to find their way home. Under sunny skies, the sun is used as a compass. But when the sun is obscured, pigeons appear to use the earth's magnetic field. The sensory basis of the pigeon's map is unknown but the disorientation of pigeons at magnetic anomalies under sunny conditions suggests that the map may be partly based on magnetic cues. Recently small deposits of the mineral magnetite have been found in two regions of the pigeon's head. It is conceivable that this material may somehow be involved in the pigeon's sensitivity to magnetic fields."

All the studies and research I've read so far specify the "Homing Pigeon" breed - I've not come across any article or study that discusses pigeon's homing ability across all breeds or, for that matter, any other breed.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

MaryOfExeter said:


> All decendants of the rock dove HAVE 'homing ability', or else when you let them go, they'd fly away like ringneck doves or parrots, or any other caged bird. However, homing/racing pigeons are the only ones capable to flying distances without getting lost, and can be 'trained' to come back from far away. English Carriers are probably next in line as far as homing ability goes, but nothing can match a homing pigeon. The breeds bred more for other characteristics like rolling, certain physical features, etc, have lost all but just that little bit of homing instinct to return to its home because they were not bred for homing. Homing pigeons wouldn't be homing pigeons if we hadn't picked out the best of the best homing wise, to breed together.
> I believe the magnetic chip theory has been at least semi-proven, at least to say that they do in fact have it in their beak/head. They just can't say for sure that's what they use. I'm also pretty sure they may not be the only birds in the world that have those chips, I think some migratory birds have been said to have them too? On top of the magnetic field theory, they say that like the migratory birds, they use the sun, and there's also the fact pigeons see, smell, and hear very well. So those are good tools in getting home too probably
> Also about the difference between racing and homing pigeons. All racers are homers but not all homers are racers  Racing pigeons are simply homing pigeons that have been bred for superior speed, homing, endurance, shape, etc., that they would need to be the best for races. So basically, a racing pigeon is not a racing pigeon unless it has been raced. Otherwise, it's just a homer with a pedigree. Homing pigeons in general, racing or not, are the fastest pigeons and the fastest birds in level flight. But like I said, some are faster than others because of what they were bred for.
> 
> Or at least, that's all my opinion.


Becky...Ferals can home too. I know from personal experience.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Charis said:


> Becky...Ferals can home too. I know from personal experience.


Charis, that's probably because they haven't had it bred out of them by people trying to create the different breeds. Then too, many of them are escapees or those who did not make it home, and they breed with the ferrals.
You know, even migratory birds will return year after year to the same place. Many of them will return to the very yard that they were born in, and nest there, and that will go on for generations. I think that most birds that have not been altered to come up with a fancy breed, have this instinct, but I think that probably the Homing Pigeon, because this is bred into it, most likely just has a more developed homing ability than many others. At least that makes sense to me.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Mhm. They're closer to the wild rock doves, and they've probably got a lot of homer blood in them too from the lost domestic birds, so I'm not surprised. They should be able to home a few miles at least, I'd think. The wild ones had to do it to find food, so why can't the ferals in say...NYC?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Mhm. They're closer to the wild rock doves, and they've probably got a lot of homer blood in them too from the lost domestic birds, so I'm not surprised. They should be able to home a few miles at least, I'd think. The wild ones had to do it to find food, so why can't the ferals in say...NYC?


The farthest I had them return from, was 50 miles. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar they could do much better than that.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Charis said:


> The farthest I had them return from, was 50 miles. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar they could do much better than that.


I'd be willing to bet that the ferrals are much more adept at many things, much more than we give them credit for. How often do you suppose people have taken the time and effort to test this ability in them?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Jay3 said:


> I'd be willing to bet that the ferrals are much more adept at many things, much more than we give them credit for. How often do you suppose people have taken the time and effort to test this ability in them?




Hi Jay3,



I agree...

The only time I everaccidently 'tested' this...was in 1981, and I took about twelve post-fledglings ferals I had raised from orphan Babys, took them to a large rural Park where I knew Birds did well all year round...

This was about fifteen miles away...

Anyway, turned them loose...and everyone one of them was already perched and laying around in the Living room, back at home, when I got home, and I drove back home straight away too...and they were relaxed and looking no different than usual.


I have no doubt they'd have done the same if it had been fifty miles or a hundred...



Too, in theory anyway, what 'Homer' Blood as would be in ferals, would be "Lost" Homer genes...


Or, possibly, of Homers who simply elected not to return to their old Loft and so on.



But, I think the ferals are fine as they are, far as 'Homing' goes, and my bet, is they could do as well as 'Homers', too...if possibly a little slower over medium distance for being a little less hefty.


Long LONG distance, ferals might do better, for pacing themselves better, eating and foraging on the way, and being wiser about things.


Short distances, say, under fifty miles, probably ferals and homers would be a close match.





Phil
l v


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hi Phil. LOL. That must have been funny. Bet you were surprised when you returned home, and there they were. I think these birds are so amazing that nothing they are capable of doing, surprises us after we have gotten to know them.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Jay3, 



I was totally surprised...

They were all very young, and I had no idea they would come back...my figuring the Park would be so much more fun and open and so on...


I could understand if say, one or both of a Mated Pair, adults, with Eggs or a Nest or Babys...that they'd come 'back' pronto...but I had no idea youngsters would.


Well...I found out..!



Phil
l v


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Interesting. You'd have thought that they would have at least spent some time in the park, at least until just before it started getting dark, or until they got hungry. Or both!


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