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Fun facts about the world's first messengers - Homing Pigeons

Nov26,2023

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Homing pigeons can navigate back home from vast distances

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Pigeons can perceive a world of color thanks to their tetrachromatic vision. In comparison, humans are trichromatic, with three types of color-receptive cones in our eyes.

Can see ultraviolent light

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Well, theories state that it was the Egyptians who first used pigeons 3,000 years ago for sending post or messages

Egyptians used pigeons for sending post

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By 1167 a regular service between Baghdad and Syria had been established by Sultan Nur ad-Din.

Regular messenger birds

Pigeons

During the Franco-Prussian War pigeons were used to carry mail between besieged Paris and the French unoccupied territory.

War messengers

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The world's first 'airmail' stamps were issued for the Great Barrier Pigeon-Gram Service from 1898 to 1908.

Airmail stamps

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Homing pigeons were still employed in the 21st century by certain remote police departments in Odisha state in eastern India to provide emergency communication services following natural disasters.

Mailer pigeons in 21st Century