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October 17, 1996 - Pigeons: A Species' Promise and PerilsGA- The-Suffbllx Timed • Gci6ber 17,-1996* Pigeons: A It's surprising how many telephone calls and letters I get from readers about something they have seen or have a ques- tion about. It makes me feel good that there are so many people out there who are concerned about the world around them, whether it's a view of a new wild- flower or an injured bird or even some- one's concern about the filling of a wet- lands — people care. It's a good sign in these troubled times when there are those who want to rip down the gains we've made in the environment. One of those concerned calls came from a lady who had rescued a pigeon that had apparently been injured by some animal. The lady was doubly concerned because she thought it belonged to some- one because of the band on its leg. I've often gotten calls from people who find these stray pigeons with their conspicuous leg bands in their yards or near their feed- ers. Here's the problem as I see it: A pigeon such as the one reported last week is probably one of the many hom- ing pigeons that are raised for the express purpose of racing. There is a large group of enthusiastic breeders of racing pigeons who compete among themselves for the fastest bird in the land. Often these birds will be released hundreds of miles away from their home lofts. Then the birds must find their way home, where a spe- cial timing device registers the arrival so that the total time of the flight can be cal- culated. These birds fly up to 50 to 60 miles an hour. The problem comes when some of the less - experienced birds get lost and settle in a strange new area that could be your backyard. Such was the case of the pigeon with the leg band the lady called about last week. When these situations have come up in the past, we've tried time and time again to see if we could locate the own- ers, but to no avail. Like so many other enterprises, some make it and some do not. Sooner or later the lost "homer" will join up' with a wild flock of pigeons and spend the rest of his days with them. Pigeons in the Dove Family It is thought that the domestic pigeon's ancestry goes back to the rock dove of Europe, Asia and Africa. It's a member of the dove family, the large birds being called pigeons, the smaller members of the clan called doves. We all should be familiar with the common mourning dove locally. It's the bird we often hear softly cooing in the distance. Its call is sometimes confused with that of the owl, Species.1 but you can be pretty sure if you hear the call during the day it's a dove, as owls usually call at night. Most "homers" are slate blue in color, very trim and alert birds. Through careful breeding, homing pigeons have returned to their lofts after being released over 500 miles away, remarkable feat seeing it is all new territory to,them. It's believed that these birds, like others, get their direction from a combination of sources. The most logical is by observation of land- marks in the area, but that soon gives way when the bird is taken away from its home roost. Then it is thought that the sun, the stars, and even the magnetic attraction of the earth are used in their remarkable navigation. This homing instinct was realized by the ancient Egyptians 'and Persians over 3,000 years ago. Even the early Olympic victories were spread throughout the country by messages attached to the legs or backs of pigeons. An interesting twist to the use of homing pigeons during wartimes was in the Franco - Prussian War. Here the French used these pigeons to carry vital messages but the Germans countered by training hawks to capture them. It's something like today's chal- lenge of war materials — each one trying to get the better of the other through some new device. `At prec In World War I, a.m. on World War II and the Korean War, the U.S. 1914, the Signal Corps used hom- viving pal ing pigeons to deliver messages. One bird trav- pigeon di( eled 24 miles in just 25 age of minutes. The ironic thing about this war story is that the bird arrived with one leg shot off and its breast injured by a bul- let. In 1956 the Army Signal Corps sold its last carrier pigeon as the electronic age took over. We on the East End are not as familiar with the common pigeon as those who live in the city. There, particularly in parks, flocks of pigeons beg for food that is usually well supplied by eager feeders. Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh Automatic Scheduling FUEL OIL C.O.D. PRICING PREMIUM DIESEL FUEL KEROSENE Promise and Perils Photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh EXTINCT PASSENGER PIGEON —Once seen by the millions, this mem- ber of the dove family became extinct because of ruthless market gunning. This stuffed specimen was photographed at Sapsucker Woods in Ithaca, N.Y. In some places they have become so numerous that they create a real problem. I wonder how many of you remember the problem that downtown Riverhead had with pigeons roosting around the build- ings. Their droppings became such a problem that drastic measures had to be taken to move them away. Once again we see overpopulation of a species without suffi- Isely 1 cient predators to keep Sept. 1 their numbers down. There are still some last sur- local flocks of pigeons �sen er about. Most find roosting g places to spend the night A at the in some farmer's barn, t9where they again make a • nuisance of themselves, but here farmers usually know how to take care of the problem. Remember, pigeons are prolific breeders and can have up to six broods a year. They feed on seeds and whole grains but must also injest sand or some other kind of grit so that their gizzards can grind up the hard seeds they've taken in. Pigeons feed their young, or squabs, a white liquid called "pigeon's milk," which is forced into the gaping mouth. Both parents feed the young by pumping this "milk" down their gullets. Another member of the pigeon family that deserves consideration here is the now - extinct passenger pigeon. In little more than a lifetime these birds that once darkened the sky with their numbers were eradicated by ruthless market gun- ners. In one organized hunt the prize was taken by a party that killed over 30,000 birds. As the hunting pressure grew, the birds dwindled until by 1914 only one female passenger pigeon, fondly named Martha, was left and that was in the Cincinnati Zoo. At precisely 1 a.m. on Sept. l it died at the age of 29. This marked the first time the exact time and date of an extinction of a species had been documented. Stray pigeons with leg bands are often found locally. It's almost impossible to find their owners. We've tried to locate some organization, but to no avail. 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