The use of birds to deliver messages dates back thousands of years. While not as widespread or formalized as modern postal services, there are many historical examples of birds being used to send letters and small packages from one location to another.
Early Examples of Birds Delivering Mail
One of the earliest examples comes from ancient Rome. Roman soldiers used pigeons to send military communications back to Rome from the front lines. By attaching messages to the legs of pigeons, they could rapidly send back reports of battles or requests for supplies.
This practice continued for centuries. During the Crusades in the 12th century, the crusaders used homing pigeons to maintain contact and coordinate activities between the campaigns waged in the Holy Land and the staff directing operations in Europe. The birds proved faster and more reliable than human messengers for delivering important communications over long distances.
In the 16th century, the Mogul emperors of India kept flocks of pigeons to carry messages between the rulers and their provincial governors. This postal system allowed them to efficiently administer their empire across large spans of territory.
Formal Postal Pigeon Services
The first formal airmail service using birds was established in 1896 between New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef. New Zealand postal officials released homing pigeons with lightweight mail packets bound for locations on various islands. The pigeons were then able to fly back to New Zealand with replies. This was much faster than relying only on monthly steamship mail service.
During World War I, countries involved in the war established extensive pigeon post services. Because early airplanes did not yet have the range or capacity to routinely carry mail, pigeon post helped fill the gap. For example, the American Signal Corps operated a pigeon service with over 600 pigeons stationed in France for messaging purposes.
The most extensive use of postal pigeons took place during World War II. The British used about 250,000 homing pigeons to deliver secret communications from behind enemy lines in France. The Dickin Medal was created specifically to honor the war service of animals, especially the carrier pigeons.
Decline of Pigeon Post
The use of homing pigeons to carry mail began to decline in the early 20th century as alternatives emerged. New aviation technologies allowed airplanes to transport larger volumes of mail over longer distances much more quickly than birds. In addition, advances in telegraph, telephone, and radio made instant long-distance communication possible.
Even though pigeons are no longer used for official postal duties, they can still be found participating in pigeon racing contests and sometimes used unofficially to carry small packages or notes. While mail delivery by birds has become obsolete, it occupies an interesting place in the history of communication technologies.
Key Facts and Figures
Here are some key facts and figures highlighting the historical use of birds to deliver mail:
- Homing pigeons have been used to carry messages for over 3,000 years, starting in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia.
- Carrier pigeons had an average flying speed of 50-60 mph, much faster than horses or trains at the time.
- During World War II, 32 pigeons were awarded the Dickin Medal for war contributions from the British government.
- The longest distance flown by a war pigeon was 740 miles from Sicily to England during WWII.
- 96% of pigeons successfully delivered their messages during WWII despite being subject to enemy fire.
- Over 550,000 pigeons were used by various nations during World War I to carry military messages.
- The last airmail flight by pigeon in the United States occurred in 1910 between Catalina Island and California.
Famous Pigeons in History
Certain pigeons have become famous for their exceptional service as feathered mail carriers:
Pigeon Name | Notable Accomplishment |
---|---|
Cher Ami | Delivered 12 important messages in her career. Received the Croix de Guerre medal from France for heroic WWI service flying under fire. |
G.I. Joe | Saved the lives of over 1,000 British troops by delivering a message to call off a planned Allied bombing attack after the troops had secretly captured an Italian town from the Germans in WWII. |
Mary of Exeter | Flew over 390 miles in 1939 to set the record for longest recorded pigeon flight at the time. |
Conclusion
Although less known today, the use of birds to deliver mail has a long and rich history. Homing pigeons especially proved vital for early military and postal services before the advent of modern transportation and communication methods. They flew with bravery and relibility to convey messages of all kinds across towns, states, countries and even continents. Next time you put a letter in a mailbox, you can think of the amazing birds that helped pave the way for today’s global postal system.