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Pigeons Use Roadways to Find Their Way Home |
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FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDayNews) -- Pigeons instinctively use major roadways to navigate their flight, researchers at the University of Zurich report.
Anecdotal evidence from breeders of racing pigeons and aerial tracking studies have suggested that pigeons may follow roadways and use highway landmarks as turning points in their flight.
To prove this, the researchers analyzed more than 200 flight paths made by pigeons traveling toward their home loft from numerous release sites in the general vicinity of Rome, Italy.
The researchers found that, when released from familiar sites, pigeons with homing experience were significantly attracted to highways and a railroad track running in the approximate direction of home.
When the road veered away from the beeline home, some birds would break away while others would continue to follow the highway until it intersected another road that headed in the direction of home.
The birds appeared to follow roadways more often at the beginning and middle of their journeys. Researchers believe the roads served to stabilize the birds' innate compass course.
The study is published in the July 27 issue of Current Biology.
More information
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has more about pigeons flying along highways.
(SOURCES: Current Biology, news release, July 26, 2004)
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