Throughout history, humans have used birds to deliver messages over long distances. While today we rely on technology like phones and email, birds were once an ingenious way to communicate across cities, countries or even continents. So what birds have been used as messenger birds throughout history and what unique abilities make them suitable for the task?
Pigeons
One of the most well-known messenger birds is the humble pigeon. Here are some key facts about the use of pigeons to deliver messages:
- Pigeons have been used to deliver messages for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
- Their incredible homing ability allows them to return to their home loft or roost from up to 1300 km away.
- Pigeons can fly at speeds up to 80 km/h, enabling them to quickly transport messages over long distances.
- During World War I and World War II, pigeons carried vital messages between military sites. They saved countless lives by continuing to operate when other methods of communication failed.
- The Dickin Medal for Valor is an award given to pigeons who demonstrate bravery and life-saving service during military missions.
- Famous messenger pigeons include Cher Ami, who was awarded the Dickin Medal for her valor in saving 194 American soldiers during World War I.
So due to their homing ability, speed and bravery under pressure, pigeons have proven to be one of the most reliable avian messengers throughout history.
Homing Pigeons vs Carrier Pigeons
There are two main types of pigeons that have been used to carry messages:
- Homing pigeons – Return to their home loft or roost after being released from a distant site. Used to send messages one way.
- Carrier pigeons – Able to travel to two or more lofts they are trained to recognize. Allow two-way communication between sites.
Carrier pigeons enabled important strategic communication during times of war. With training, pigeons can be taught routes between multiple locations, flying back and forth with coded messages.
Falcons
In ancient Egypt, falcons were occasionally used to deliver important messages:
- Falcons can achieve very high speeds during flight, enabling swift transport of messages.
- However, they do not home as reliably as pigeons.
- The Ancient Egyptians primarily used them for urgent messages to gods and pharaohs rather than regular communication.
- Ancient Greek and Roman texts also reference the occasional use of falcons as messengers.
While falcons are swift fliers, their predatory nature means they cannot match the reliability and temperament of pigeons for communication purposes.
Ravens & Crows
Ravens and crows are incredibly intelligent birds that have also been used to deliver messages:
- Highly trainable and can mimic human speech.
- Can remember faces and locations over many years.
- During World War I, Germans trained ravens to deliver messages behind enemy lines.
- Some Native American tribes used trained crows to deliver small objects such as sticks.
With their intelligence and strong memory, ravens and crows can be taught delivery routes but were used less extensively than pigeons throughout history.
Parrots
Parrots are one of the only birds that can mimic human speech. This ability meant they were occasionally used for very specific message delivery tasks:
- In parts of Africa, parrots were trained to deliver names and greetings between villages.
- Pirates sometimes kept parrots for delivering coded messages between ships.
- Early postal services in remote islands would use parrots to announce mail arrivals.
While parrots are very intelligent, their inability to home over long distances limited their use as postal messengers. But for delivering short vocal messages, they were uniquely suited among bird species.
Swallows
Here are some key facts about the use of swallows to deliver messages:
- Some cultures tamed local swallows to deliver small written messages on tiny scrolls.
- Their typical foraging range is around 30 km, limiting their use for long distance deliveries.
- However, scholars think their homing ability may have inspired the use of homing pigeons over longer routes.
While not as commonly used as pigeons, swallows demonstrate that a variety of bird species have been innovatively used by humans for communication purposes throughout history.
Messenger Birds in Mythology & Literature
The use of birds to deliver messages has inspired many mythological and literary stories:
- In Greek mythology, ravens served Apollo as messengers.
- In the Epic of Gilgamesh, doves delivered messages about the Great Flood.
- Shakespeare references carrier pigeons in Shakespeare’s plays to carry messages between characters.
- In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, great eagles periodically deliver important messages and aid heroes.
The fact that birds were used as messengers for thousands of years has inspired many fictional flights of fancy involving bird communication.
Messenger Birds in Modern Times
While less extensively used today due to modern technology, messenger birds still play some communication roles in the 21st century:
- Pigeon racing remains a popular sport, testing pigeons’ speed and homing ability.
- Some remote pacific islands still use messenger pigeons in the absence of phones or internet.
- The Swiss army stopped training messenger pigeons in 1996, the last army known to do so.
- Homing pigeons are sometimes used for communicating at mountain rescue sites when signals are blocked.
While they may no longer deliver urgent military dispatches, homing pigeons are still cherished for their speed and reliability.
Conclusion
In summary, here are some of the key birds that have been used to deliver messages throughout history:
Bird | Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|---|
Pigeons | Reliable homing ability, fast flight, bravery | Lower message capacity than modern methods |
Falcons | Very rapid long distance flight | Less reliable homing ability than pigeons |
Ravens & Crows | Highly intelligent and trainable | Slower flight speed than falcons or pigeons |
Parrots | Ability to mimic human speech | Inability to home over long distances |
Swallows | Some homing ability over short distances | Very limited range compared to other species |
Birds have served humans well as messengers for thousands of years. While pigeons were the most extensively used species, many innovative bird species have been used to deliver messages in different cultures and time periods. Their flying skills continue to inspire humankind’s imagination across myths, literature and modern sporting events.