The Secret of Homing Pigeon Navigation

[COLIN LAMB]

At long last, homing pigeon navigation has been documented and the
surprising results can be used by soaring pilots who wish to travel cross
country with no GPS.

See
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/05/npige05.xml

[Willie]

COLIN LAMB wrote:
> At long last, homing pigeon navigation has been documented and the
> surprising results can be used by soaring pilots who wish to travel cross
> country with no GPS.

I believe this has less to do with navigation than convenience.

Imagine the poor pigeon out over the countryside in need of
a toilet. Not a car for many kilometers.

I think they follow the roads because it gives them a ready
source of targets, especially windshields.

Just a thought.

8>)

Willie

[Mike Lindsay]

In article . net>,
COLIN LAMB > writes
>At long last, homing pigeon navigation has been documented and the
>surprising results can be used by soaring pilots who wish to travel cross
>country with no GPS.
>
>See
>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/05/npige05.xml
>
>
Almost incredible, isn't it?

I have seen birds swooping low over our local train station, no doubt
they were reading the name of the town.
--
Mike Lindsay