# Mini-pigeon camera



## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I have heard of and have seen "pigeon video" but for life of me, can not remember where I saw such a thing. For those who do not know what I am talking about, it is a small video which is attached to a pigeon by way of a harness. After the bird has been out and about, you remove a sim card and presto you have perhaps an hour's worth of flying recorded. Now, I am looking for information about this technolgy. Anyone been using it, has it worked well for you ?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Try looking on some of the "spy gadget" websites.
Not necessarilly made for pigeons, but some of the technology is so small and light (some fits in the end of a pen) that it could be adapted to fit a harness very easilly. In fact, the harness could well weigh more than the apparatus


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Here is link on you tube to build one. Good luck I hope to see some videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gekyIxhXqtU


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I found some of those on my first searches, but I thought perhaps there is a place to purchase everything already modified and built ? If not, then perhaps I will have to have them built.


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

I purchased a harness from one of those guys selling the gps systems. I attached a spy cam to it and it worked but the footage was very poor. The cameras just aren't good enough yet. The key is to get the camera very very stable so it won't shake or wobble during flight.

I'm waiting for the cameras to get better before I work on it any more. It was frankly disappointing. The best clip I got was after my bird landed and he shot video of me down on the ground looking up at him calling him in  The rest was a garbled mess.

This camera may be good enough, but it's a bit pricier than the cheap Chinese spy-cams. 

http://www.gearcam.com/gearcam/


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

Scientists from Harvard University trained pigeons to fly through an artificial forest with a tiny camera attached to their heads

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-07/sfeb-ana070111.php


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Poor thing looks funny.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

sdymacz said:


> Scientists from Harvard University trained pigeons to fly through an artificial forest with a tiny camera attached to their heads
> 
> http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-07/sfeb-ana070111.php


 That get up just doesn't look very practical for the uses I have in mind. For one thing I don't want to shave my pigeons heads and then place screws into their skulls. I am all in favor of science, but I am not comfortable with equipment which in any way, shape or form, would cause discomfort to my pigeons. 

Maybe at end of day, I will have to have the equipment built to my specs. If I end up happy with the end result, then perhaps I will make some commercially available. Most of what I have seen so far, is rejected junk, designed for other purposes.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Kastle Loft said:


> I purchased a harness from one of those guys selling the gps systems. I attached a spy cam to it and it worked but the footage was very poor. The cameras just aren't good enough yet. The key is to get the camera very very stable so it won't shake or wobble during flight.
> http://www.gearcam.com/gearcam/


Its not the cameras that arent good enough, its the whole enviroment of where the camera is.
Modern software technology will take out things like camera shake & vibration when camera is held by a human, but when mounted on a bird, (especially on its back or underneath) the movement of its wings & muscles not only cause the "shake" to be massively increased, but also the speed at which the bird flys, moves & turns also affects image processing.
Thinking about it, the best place to mount a camera would be on the birds head as this would have the least vibrational movement during flight.


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## mikeyg (Jul 11, 2012)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> That get up just doesn't look very practical for the uses I have in mind. For one thing I don't want to shave my pigeons heads and then place screws into their skulls. I am all in favor of science, but I am not comfortable with equipment which in any way, shape or form, would cause discomfort to my pigeons.
> 
> Maybe at end of day, I will have to have the equipment built to my specs. If I end up happy with the end result, then perhaps I will make some commercially available. Most of what I have seen so far, is rejected junk, designed for other purposes.


Looks like it is glued with a piece of foam between the camera and the skull. I would be extremely dissappointed if Harvard study printed or admitted to putting screws into the pigeons skulls. Does seem pretty elaborate though, I would like to see the video they produced. Thats the true test!


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

Winged Planet:

_This two-hour special event comes from award winning filmmaker John Downer (Elephants: Spy in the Herd, Tiger: Spy in the Jungle, Polar Bears: Spy on the Ice), who transformed wildlife filmmaking by pioneering the use of spy cameras to capture nature's most intimate moments._

_In his latest project, Downer developed a new team of spy cams to offer viewers a jaw-dropping view of the world from an entirely different perspective. As these remarkable birds fly, they use the landscapes below them to navigate, search for food, roost and migrate. Spy cams allow viewers a moving three-dimensional view as they ride on the backs of spectacular eagles, cranes, pelicans, snow geese and countless other birds while they soar above some of the most awe-inspiring parts of America, Africa and Europe._

The photo gallery is pretty sweet.


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## pigeonjim (May 12, 2012)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> I have heard of and have seen "pigeon video" but for life of me, can not remember where I saw such a thing. For those who do not know what I am talking about, it is a small video which is attached to a pigeon by way of a harness. After the bird has been out and about, you remove a sim card and presto you have perhaps an hour's worth of flying recorded. Now, I am looking for information about this technolgy. Anyone been using it, has it worked well for you ?


Whatever happened with your search for the perfect camera? I was just playing around and googled pigeon camera and this post came up. Jim


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

I have been looking for a nice one since I flew my birds two years ago. I saw a few documentaries of them with cams on and the footage was amazing, but Im sure that costs a few bucks. I SO want to see a birds eye view of what my boys see when they are out and bout the neighbourhood lol. Imagine if they see a hawk or eagle yikes.


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