# could pigeons fly in the dark?



## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

could pigeons fly in the dark??


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

I mean (at night) in an open field with lights


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hmm... I see this sometimes when pigeons fly from balcony to balcony around here in the dark, but of course it's not totally dark and the street lights are on plus we are only on the 4th floor.

Though if something happeneds to frighten the pigeon I would not be surprised if they flew a long distance but that could be dangerous, and I've seen it when people start to play with fire-crackers and it scares the pigeons and makes them fly across the street and around onto the other buildings sometimes even crashing into things 
It's sad because pigeons can't see well in the dark...


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I have read some of the stories of the passanger pigeons trained to fly at night so it is possible! They adapt!

Giving the birds lots of vegies filled with caratanoids for vision may help too!LOL A lack of corn or any vegies with vita a and caratanoids can cause vision problems in pigeons, I've seen it!

Treesa


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

its true that pigeons have excellent seight right?


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## Snowbird (Jun 24, 2004)

My birds have different night sight ability--some are very comfortable flying with minimal light and some hunker down. As Cynthia said, they will fly at night when frightened sufficiently and and will do some crashing in the dark. And as Treesa noted homing pigeons did some night courier work in the war but many were lost--over a long distance at 40 mph you would have to hit something. Passenger pigeons would fly at night to out run storms, but they would take it way up. I suspect pigeons have better night sight than humans and, yes, pigeons sight is excellent--they can see the rings of Saturn.


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Pige-on,

Only in one place have I ever noticed pigeons at night, and that is in my town where we have a very large outdoor mall/hotels/office complex. There are restaurants, movie theators, shops etc, all outside access, w/ large areas in between w/ benches, trees, shrubs, etc surrounded by large parking lot and large open tiered parking garages. It is pretty well lit at night w/ all the street lighting and lights from the business establishments, but still kind of dim.
One night after dinner and a movie w/ friends, we were walking there around 9:30 at night and I was astounded to see several pigeons walking around pecking at the ground. They weren't too afraid of the people walking around them but if they got spooked, would fly up and perch in one of the several trees nearby.
I'm sure if nutrition affects eyesight, these poor guys probably need glasses. I am sure they survive mainly on just the scraps from the fast food places and restaurants. I surmise that they probably night roost nearby in the open parking garages that are also dimly lit. 
Since this area is has more people coming to it in the evenings (because of movies and eating places,) than during the day, I wonder if some of the birds have adapted to finding their way around the area in the evening since they have more of a chance of getting some food at that time than earlier in the day.

Linda


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

Thanks everyone!!!!!


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## theveets (Aug 29, 2004)

in the city there is lots of light so they can see some what but in the country it is pitch black and darkness it like a sleeping pill 4 them 



the veets


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

can they walk/fly in the night when there's a full moon?


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

Pigeons cannot see as well in the dark as for instance cats.
For this reason, pigeons are not found flying around in the dark. The passenger pigeon of old, now extinct, was often caught out over water at sunset, while migrating long distances. The used the moon's light for direction.
Carl


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## Lee (Jul 28, 2001)

*dark*

Lee here, 
In the early to mid 1940s the army worked trying to train pigeons fly after dark. They were somewhat successfull and even one flew a mission after dark and did deliver the message . This bird was working with the navy in the pacific and flew from a ship to an island a distance of about 30 miles. This training procedure was discontinued as it wasnt productive for the war effort . There are handlers that train after dark even now ,but even they dont see much in it i know many pigeons have trapped after dark in some races so they can fly after dark but it probably isnt an easy thing for them. With their speed and antics in the air it is hard enough for them to fly in the day without hitting a wire or tree limb .. I make it a practice of never asking my birds to fly in undue danger like Power lines, many trees, or things that may spook them. I have a release business and some weddings they release butterflies and balloons and so on i always let the air clear before i release my birds ... just my thoughts


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

Is it true that pigeons sometimes use the sun for directions?


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

If pigeons use the sun for direction does it affect them at night (aside from not seeing)???


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## Lee (Jul 28, 2001)

*sun*

Lee here, 
Pigeons use many things to navigate . We dont understand all that they do know about navigation however they do use the suns location to determin direction they also use their sight they can see many miles , some folks think they use their sense of smell also they can sense magnetic flux of the earth to navigate and of course they learn their location by flying in a normal feeding range.They have a great sense of hearing it is believed they can hear the waves breaking on both coasts . they use landmarks to navigate ..so all in all they have a great sense of nevigation.......


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## dthomom (Aug 29, 2004)

Surely all of you have read this, but I will try to post the link to a cnn article about how homing pigeons "home".
http://www.securitynewsportal.com/c.../science/02/06/homing.pigeons.reut/index.html


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

WOW !!!!!!!!! I never knew that !!!!Thanks !!!!


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

By the way are there any pigeons that sleep in the day and fly at night?


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## elvis_911 (Apr 26, 2004)

Yeah yesterday i released a pair of pigeons from maybe 1 half km away it was dim you can see everything clearly but it was as if the birds cant fly in the day and i saw him perch on a building then i waited 30minutes! it got dark and they didnt want to fly at all! they still havent come back !! Maryco do you live in a building?
do you ever release them? casue i think they would get lost in a place with lots of balconies, maybe get confused?


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

Yes, I do live in a building and those birds are feral, they know the area well and even in the dark (mostly the adults) can move around but otherwise I don't think it's going to be easy for your birds to come back in the dark.
They would most likely wait until morning and try to come back.


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## Pige-on (Aug 16, 2004)

Thanks everyone for replying !!!!!!!


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