The Carrier Pigeon has been around since 1450 in Greece, this was the first time humans used birds to relay information from far distances. Since there are only a few records of this from 1450 it was hard to find a lot of details, but it was stated that these pigeons were used to share news of conquest.
In more recent times the Carrier Pigeons were used during both World Wars due to the stealth and effectiveness they had. It was stated by President Wilson that these pigeons were more reliable than the telegraph and telephone during times of war. Commanders were able to efficiently send commands to those on the front line.
The specific pigeon used was called the Homing Pigeons and they worked so well due to a unique group of neurons that gave them the ability to find others of their species. The army would set up coops that would trigger an alarm or bell that would alert the troop that a message was delivered.
The carrier pigeon worked very well and fast which made it crucial for the army during both World Wars. After WWII 32 pigeons received the Dickin Medal for their services. This medal honored animals that played a role in helping win the war. This was very unusual to me, but it makes sense due to the amount of help these pigeons gave the troops on the ground.
Personally I’ve never been a fan of pigeons, but these specific pigeons served a purpose in human history. Now they are very absolute and quite annoying birds. In the past they served a purpose and for that I respect the way these birds were able to be trained to complete an important goal for humans. Their goal since they first went to use was to really information, and that is exactly what they did. It is very interesting to see how humans have used animals in the past to make their tasks easier. In my mind this is a technological advancement that is deemed to be very beneficial to the human race.
Maybe one day technology will become ineffective and humans will have to resort back to the old ways. In slight chances of this ever happening it will be good to remember the effectiveness carrier pigeons once had. They played an important part in the rapid increase in getting information out fast, and for that the human race should be forever grateful.
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