Homing Pigeons" Secret Navigation - It's The Roads

Reuters reports that homing pigeons find their way by following roads.

Researchers at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and found the birds often don't navigate by taking bearing from the sun.

Instead pigeons fly along roads, turn at junctions and even go around roundabouts, adding miles to their journeys.

Reuters quotes Professor Tim Guilford:

Pigeons use their own navigational system when doing long-distance trips or when a bird does a journey for the first time. But when they have flown a journey more than once they home in on an habitual route home. In short it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road...they are just making their journey as simple as possible.

Comments

[Nan Kilian]

Sept. 27 I found two dead birds, pigeons I think, possibly shot, with leg bands. They were white and dark grey. One leg band was orange with the markings 65A T&B the other was pink with 72A T&B. They were found near Reno NV in the mountains to the east near a jeep trail. Does anyone know what the leg bands mean?

[Beverly James]

I live in DE right next to the Nanticoke river & I've recently been adopted by a pigeon. It's soft grey with iridescence green and grape around its neck, with a checker-board wing pattern. It has a red shiny band around its right leg with the #531 I think, and some other writing I can't see. His left leg has a plain dark band. Not scared of people. Is taking up with my mourning doves. I won't feed it as I want it to leave. But it isn't. Now my songbirds won't come. :( How can I get this bird to move on??? HELP!!!

[Matt]

Pigeon with red band on left leg and green band on right leg. Red band says 598. Green band doesn't appear to say anything. It landed on my back deck. Not afraid of people - seems tame. Won't leave. Maybe it homed in to the wrong home. If anyone has found out how to notify owner in case like this, please let me know. I'm tempted to catch it and take it a few miles away - maybe it will find its real home ...

[Mike]

A white pigeon with a band on the birds leg. Was walking on the curb 2 blocks west of Freeport on Sutterville rd Sacramento Ca. I could not quit catch it but it let me get really close. As the sun went down it flew into a tree in the back yard of a house next to an apartment building. I found out that the bird has been there since Tuesday. If anyone knows someone who is missing a pure white dove or pigeon go to the 1900 block of Sutterville road. Loaction is across from Land Park 9th hole tee off.

[Chris Colvini]

Can someone please tell me what to do about the pigeon that is on my deck, Sacramento River, CA near Rio vista.
HELP this crying bird with the green band!
916-777-5897

[Chris Colvin]

Pigeon with gren band on my deck in Isleton, CA on Sacramento River???
Who do I contact????
Chris

[Christo (JHB)]

Found dead pigeon on top of waltons roof with black band around leg. HAD TO Braek leg off to get band, sorry. Band reads TauRIS 600 and four dots in diamond shape and the number 4. Of any importance? 0824126437

[Maria Aguigui]

FOUND
AND IS WELL CARED FOR.
What looks like a Homing Pigeon, in the Waldorf, MD area. Banded. Grey and white, with pink/violet color around neck area.
If you have lost a pigeon that looks like this, please provide band number and we'll get back to you.

[josette king]

mom & i found a homing pigon on our balkony we dont know what to do with it but feed it who do we contact we r in california (southern) please call me to let me know.8053683642

[California YankeeCalifornia Yankee]

Russ, The AU on the band indicates the bird is from the American Racing Pigeon Union - www.pigeon.org. That organization has a webpage - http://www.pigeon.org/lostbirdinfo.htm - with links to help you find the owner with the information contained on the band.

[Russ Behrens]

As I walked to the library this morning I witnessed a sharp shined hawk take a pigeon in flight. When I came back the pigeon had been eaten. I noticed that the pigeon was banded. One green plastic band and a light blue band North Star AU 2005 # 6239. Tuesday, December 5, 2006 in Grinnell, Iowa.

Can anyone help me make a report on this band?

Thank You

[B. Verbeck]

Homing pigeon found on our deck 2 days ago. it has a red band on one leg AU 2006 6647
CH

Black band on other leg band reads: TauRIS 600+

We have no idea how to find out where it came from or whom it belongs to.

[Alemu]

how pigeons perform true navigation?

[Judy]

I found a pigeon. Its really tame and has a band on its foot. What do i do with it? It won't fly away.

[danielle]

so how do you get them to train when you get a younge pair? i just can't find a way other than two way training

[pennie]

i have a pretty one lost here?band says RC 1727 2004? other leg is a red one?what to do

[elaine]

a banded homing pigeon is lost and has
been at my home for about 3 weeks cant get
it to get caught