History of the Racing Pigeon

Messenger or more commonly known as Carrier pigeons were used as early as 1150 in Baghdad[10] and also later by Genghis Khan.

In 1860, Paul Reuter, who later founded Reuters press agency, used a fleet of over 45 pigeons to deliver news and stock prices between Brussels and Aachen. The outcome of the Battle of Waterloo was also first delivered by a pigeon to England.
Stamp for early Pigeon-Gram service
Stamp for early Pigeon-Gram service
A B-type bus from London converted into a Pigeon loft for use in Northern France and Belgium during the Great war
A B-type bus from London converted into a Pigeon loft for use in Northern France and Belgium during the Great war

Possibly the first regular air mail service in the world was Mr Howie's Pigeon-Post service from the Auckland New Zealand suburb of Newton to Great Barrier Island, starting in 1896. Certainly the world’s first 'airmail' stamps were issued for the Great Barrier Pigeon-Gram Service from 1898 to 1908.[11]

They were used extensively during World War I, and one homing pigeon, Cher Ami, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for his heroic service in delivering 12 important messages, despite having been very badly injured.

During World War II, the Irish Paddy and the American G.I. Joe both received the Dickin Medal, and were among 32 pigeons to receive this medallion, for their gallantry and bravery in saving human lives with their actions.

Eighty-two homing pigeons were dropped into Holland with the First Airborne Division Signals as part of Operation Market-Garden in World War II. The pigeons' loft was located in London which would have required them to fly 240 miles to deliver their messages.[12] Also in World War II, hundreds of homing pigeons with the Confidential Pigeon Service were airdropped into northwest Europe to serve as intelligence vectors for local resistance agents.

Homing pigeons were still employed in the 21st century by certain remote police departments in Orissa state in eastern India to provide emergency communication services following natural disasters. In March 2002, it was announced that India's Police Pigeon Service messenger system in Orissa was to be retired, due to the expanded use of the Internet.[citation needed]

Notable pigeon enthusiasts in the United Kingdom include Gerry Francis (football manager) and Duncan Ferguson (Everton and Scotland footballer).

In Chinese martial art (wushu) films and dramas, homing pigeons are often used for "Pigeon Mail" (????). People often labor under the misapprehension that the pigeons know where to deliver the mail. The fact is that they can only go back to one "mentally marked" point that they have identified as their home. So "pigeon mail" can only work when the sender is actually holding the receiver's pigeons.

The Taliban banned homing pigeons[13] (or probably more realistically the keeping of homing pigeons and/or the use for sport) in Afghanistan.

The homing pigeon is a variety of domesticated Rock Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) that has been selectively bred to be able to find its way home over extremely long distances.[1] The wild rock pigeon having an innate homing ability,[2] means that it will generally return to its own nest and its own mate. This made it relatively easy to breed from the birds that repeatedly found their way home over long distances. Flights as long as 1800 kilometers have been recorded by exceptional birds in competition pigeon racing.[3] Their average flying speed over moderate distances is around 48 km/h (30 mph), but they can achieve bursts of speed up to 94.5 km/h (58.7 mph).[4] Homing pigeons have been used to carry messages written on thin light paper (such as cigarette paper) in a small tube attached to one leg; this is called pigeon post. Sometimes homing pigeons are called carrier pigeons, when they are used to carry messages. White homing pigeons are used in Release Dove ceremonies at weddings, funerals and some sporting events.