What organ does the pigeon distinguish between colors? Why do pigeons nod their heads when walking? The answer is in biology. Pigeons can be of different colors

Sunglasses. Seemingly small pigeon eyes actually cover almost the entire head. They are simply covered with plumage and skin. Pigeons see poorly in the dark, and attempts to breed a nocturnal breed of post birds that “work” during sleep of daytime feathered predators have failed.

And near this telescope there is an organ that seems to have nothing to do with vision - the so-called scallop. But why is this bloodshot fold, like the fur of an accordion, as if pressed by a huge blind spot into the watchful eyes of the bird? Since scientists know that the body of any living creature is not given anything superfluous, certain studies have been carried out. They convince that the scallop is akin to dark sunglasses. Thanks to him, the birds look at the sun without blinking, and thus the "blind spot" helps migratory birds during migrations, and pigeons - in carrying out courier assignments.

Special vision. It is interesting that the eyes of a pigeon can select from the field of vision only that information that he needs at the moment, and does not notice other information. One of the US aviation firms invented an electronic eye, or rather a model of a bird's retina (145 light-sensitive photoreceptors and 386 neurons - artificial nerve cells). Such a model is able to determine the direction and speed of an object, its shape and size. The "eye" can, for example, recognize a bomber and a missile and not notice other flying objects.

And thanks to the fact that the sight of a pigeon is many times sharper than that of a person, the US Rescue Society has developed a program to use trained birds to find and rescue people at sea. They will fly helicopters along with the rescue teams. As soon as the pigeon sees the orange flag (the generally accepted signal for help), it will give the command a prearranged signal.

Pigeons are able to see with their skin. And here's another striking fact, which is also included in the decoding of the bird orientation system. Bird watchers lit up a pigeon's nest one night and saw their amazing reaction - the blind chicks immediately started shaking their heads, waving their small wings in fright and even giving a voice. The flash of light caused the same effect when a light-tight cap was put on the head of the chicks. But if they covered the body, and the blind eyes were left outside, then the birds did not notice the light. There can be only one explanation for this - pigeons see with their skin! It remains to be determined what biochemical processes underlie this phenomenon, but scientists immediately suggested that light-sensitive skin somehow helps pigeons find their way home.

On the possibility of orientation in the geomagnetic field... The Earth's magnetic field is often considered as a possible reference point for maintaining the course of birds and other animals. After all, our planet is a happy exception among others, since it has both its own life and its own magnetic field. And the connection between these two global phenomena undoubtedly exists, which is reflected, among other things, on the processes of orientation of animals. The Earth can be thought of as a huge uniformly magnetized sphere, and the compass needle at any point is set along the horizontal vector of the magnetic field strength.

It is known about the existence of a kind of biological compass in some living organisms, such as termites, May beetles, and whales. Even bacteria "sense" the earth's magnetic field. It was found that each of them contains a compass - a crystal of magnetite. Magnetic particles were found in different parts of the body of 60 species of living organisms - in the brain of bees, the body of salmon, and the abdomen of homing pigeons. Biologists have found similar formations from magnetite crystals in the human brain. And since nothing in the body of either animals or humans is useless, then they probably include at the right time and for certain purposes a kind of magnetic sense.

In the late 70s, the American zoologist Charles Walcott conducted a series of biological experiments on carrier pigeons. On the head and neck of the bird, he fixed the conductors and passed an electric current through them, creating an artificial magnetic field. Pigeons, as a rule, immediately lost their orientation. This became an argument for those who argued that pigeons are able to "align" with the Earth's magnetic field. There is information that the electromagnetic pulses of powerful television stations confuse pigeons and prevent them from finding the right path. But there are other experiments in which tiny strong magnets were attached under the wings of birds. They distorted the natural magnetic field, but the birds did not notice this and traveled home hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, the "magnetic version" of the orientation of birds is not the only one.

Are pigeons guided by smell? In recent years, the hypothesis about the distant orientation of carrier pigeons by smell has been tested. This hypothesis seems doubtful to many, since in this case it is necessary to take into account the following:

When a familiar smell is detected, the pigeon should not fly in the wind, but in the direction in which the wind with the familiar smell was blowing during training at home.

The pigeon should have such a spatial map in which a certain smell corresponds to each compass direction.

The compass direction during training and at the location is determined using global fields - geomagnetic or astro-orientations.

The curvature of the air flow in atmospheric vortices (cyclones and anticyclones) can introduce an error in the choice of the compass direction.

It would seem that this shows that when they return, the pigeons cannot take advantage of the smell, but everything is more complicated than it seems. It turns out that pigeons with a disturbed sense of smell are not able to find the way to the house, although they fly hundreds of kilometers along the right path in search of it. But, in the end, they settle on other people's dovecotes. According to some scientists, the pigeon does not use the scent fields as a guide - the familiar scent only turns on other ways of orientation. And the very source of the smell can be found guided by the spatial organization of the concentration field itself.

Pigeons hear infrasound. Ornithologists have proven that pigeons hear infrasound - sound vibrations of less than 10 hertz. And the receptors that perceive it are located somewhere inside the pigeon's ear. Infrasounds are born, for example, by various natural disasters - thunderstorms, earthquakes, which spread over thousands of kilometers in the atmosphere. This is probably why pigeons have a good presentiment of weather changes and earthquakes. In addition, scientists do not exclude the possibility that birds navigate long-distance flights with the help of infrasound.

Memory, learning and development of conditioned reflexes

Learning from urban pigeons. Pigeons are excellent students, and they learn not only on their own by gradually gaining experience in their environment, but also from each other, observing the behavior of an experienced fellow. It is even assumed that a strong and "wise" bird can force another to learn by imitating himself. City dwellers - sisari have learned to deftly avoid the wheels of cars, beg and manage on balconies, just like at home. But so far they cannot learn to avoid contact with salt, which is sprinkled on the streets in winter. Because of it, pigeons often freeze their feet. This is an additional factor to the fact that pigeons often get sick - they catch a runny nose, then bronchitis.

Memory to aid the controller function. One interesting use of the pigeons' ability to hold a mental image of an image firmly in memory is the use of these birds by controllers finished products... This was advised by zoopsychologists, since pigeons, firstly, perfectly remember the standard of production, secondly, they have excellent eyesight, and thirdly, they do not burden themselves with monotonous work, they work with concentration and diligence. Pigeons mastered the difficult profession of a controller in 3-4 days. A cage with a bird, in the bottom of which two plates were mounted, was placed near the conveyor with ready-made medicines. When a well-closed box moved, the pigeons pecked one plate, and if with a marriage, another. The birds proved to be extremely observant controllers. Sorting the medicine boxes in this way, they did not miss a single badly closed one. Pigeons found such small defects that a person simply could not see.

The pigeons-controllers went out to the conveyor of the Moscow plant to sort the balls for the bearings. After completing such short-term courses, they remembered both the image of the reference part and their tasks - when a high-quality part is floating along the conveyor, you need to behave calmly. If the part is defective, you should bite the lever. The mechanism will throw this part off the conveyor, and the feeder will open for a while in front of the beak. On the first day, they worked fine, and the next day they began to reject all the balls in a row. The experimenters found that the birds quickly improved their skills - they began to send balls with fingerprints to marriage. I had to wipe the balls before showing them to the feathered inspectors so that they would consider them of high quality. Pigeons are able to see not only the finest defects on the surface of polished parts, but also tiny cracks in the glass.

Representatives of other professions became interested in this ability to dove. For example, pigeons' color vision is better than human: they distinguish the slightest shades of color that elude the sight of even high-class textile specialists sorting fabrics.

Training for the examination of paintings. A Japanese zoopsychologist with colleagues conducted an interesting experiment by teaching pigeons to distinguish between Impressionist paintings and Cubists. The feathered expert, accustomed to “recognize” a certain creative school, “pecked” only the pictures corresponding to it. When presenting the works of Monet and Picasso to a trained pigeon, the error did not exceed 10 percent, even if the bird is shown canvases that it has never seen before. When the experimenters familiarized the pigeons with the work of Cezanne and Renoir, the "experts" easily and correctly classified them in the same category as Monet. Impressionist paintings from the works of such cubists as, for example, Georges Braque, pigeons were distinguished without apparent difficulties.

According to a professional art critic, pigeons simply learned to recognize the simplest signs inherent in these schools - the presence or absence of sharp corners or clear and bright colors inherent in Cubism in images. After all, blurred outlines and pastel colors are inherent in impressionism, which should be striking even for a bird. However, scientists have set up an experiment confirming that pigeons are unmistakable experts. They recognized the style when they were shown specially "smeared" reproductions or reproduced in black and white. Birds, like ourselves, used not one, but a whole set of signs in the perception of the image.

Ability to memorize long rows of stimuli. It was found that during training, pigeons demonstrate the ability to mentally analyze a number of stimuli and memorize them, breaking such a series into segments. A person memorizes phone numbers in the same way - in groups of 2-3 digits. At the same time, internal ideas about the structure of the sequence of stimuli are formed, and in a similar way in animals of different levels of organization. In pigeons, this process proceeds as in great primates, but their learning rate is lower.

The development of conditioned reflexes. The classical Pavlov method was applied to pigeons. They learned to look for food after exposure to strong light, which is a conditioned stimulus. Or, for example, they investigated the ability of a pigeon to distinguish - a circle from an ellipse and a polygon. To do this, the birds were shown a conditioned stimulus through the window - a circle, ellipse or polyhedron - in the form of a black silhouette on a brightly lit frosted glass. Using this method, it was possible to establish that the limit of this ability is the 10-sided.

Pigeon training

A very complex process of training a pigeon begins with taming it to a person. The trainer must make friends with his charge. Feed him, clean his home, talk in a gentle voice.

Pigeons are poultry and unlike a pet like a cat, they are not difficult to tame. However, pigeons are easy to train while walking on the ground. And aerial stunts require special techniques. For example, a trainer wants a bird to fly out from under the circus dome, roll over in the air above the center of the arena, and fly away through a specific door. To representatives of some breeds of pigeons, the skill of somersaults is inherited, so there is no need to specially teach the pigeon this technique. But you need to figure out how to explain to the bird what is expected of it. She must understand where to fly, where to roll over and what to do next. If the coach could fly with the student under the circus dome and after each somersault hold out a delicacy in the palm of his hand, then the pigeon would quickly learn this. And since this is impossible, there are special training techniques for feathered artists.

On the initial stage The trainer sits down next to the pigeon and whistles, giving the student a grain of wheat after each time. The procedure is simple - the pigeon quickly remembers that food immediately appears after the whistle. However, the coach is in no hurry to stop training at this stage. He repeats the lessons until the pigeon learns to drop everything on the whistle and rush for a treat. After that, you can start training in the arena. The trainer is at the bottom, and the assistant carries the pigeon up. After flying a little, the bird descends, but each time it is returned to the canopy, until it finally rolls over. And then the familiar whistle immediately sounds - the hungry pigeon flies headlong for a reward. The training continues until the pigeon realizes that the whistle sounds only when it does a somersault in the air. The diligent student now performs this figure on every flight. In the following lessons, the whistle sounds at the moment when the bird tumbles just over the arena, and then only if the figure is performed over the center of the arena. Next time the handler sits in the doorway and the pigeon flies there for food. A few more reinforcing lessons and the "artist" is ready to perform. Thanks to training with the use of a food stimulus, he developed a stable conditioned reflex.

The ability of pigeons to form concepts. Scientists have found that pigeons, oddly enough, exhibit the most impressive abilities (compared to other animals, including monkeys) for forming concepts. They can successfully distinguish photographs with a person, water, and a tree from other photographs without these objects. Moreover, they have an amazing ability to make such distinctions even when these images are presented in different ways. For example, pigeons can identify water in the form of drops, a turbulent river, a calm lake. Or they learned to bang their beaks on photographs of a wide variety of people - representatives of different races and skin colors, old people and children. At the same time, people were depicted in various poses and clothes, or even naked, were in different places of the photograph, etc. And yet, from a large number of photographs, pigeons were selected only those in which people are depicted. Scientists have tried to find other criteria by which these photos can be sorted, but in vain. This suggests that pigeons are capable of generalizing and creating concepts. In this they were the concepts of "water", "man" and. etc.

Pigeons are able to guess how to get a banana almost like monkeys. Experiments on the study of the rational activity of monkeys with the help of various structures to achieve bait were quite famous in the 19th century. The very first experiments amazed the experimenters. They hung a banana in the cage, which the chimpanzees could not reach, and put a box nearby. When the monkeys realized that jumping would not help, they dragged the box to a place where it was convenient to reach for the banana, climbed onto the box and took out the fruit. More recently, it was decided to repeat this experiment, but this time with pigeons. By this time, pigeons already knew how to peck an artificial banana, commensurate with their size, they also learned to push a small stand to the right place. They were trained in these activities independently of each other. When the birds faced the same problem as the chimpanzees, 4 out of 11 pigeons also moved the stand closer to the bait. Moving it, the birds looked first at the stand, then at the "banana". Then the pigeons easily climbed onto it (they did not need to be taught this) and began to peck at the bait.

It turns out that pigeons are also quite "perceptive", and can guess how to solve a problem in a new situation for them.

Pigeons successfully pass the pattern selection test. The fact that the pigeon has the ability to form mental representations is confirmed by the following tests. When "patterned", these birds show the ability to process information about the relationship between stimuli - the presence of similarities or differences between them. A pigeon in such tests must make a choice from several samples offered to him or choose a pair in the absence of a sample, focusing on his mental image, an idea of him. In one experiment, pigeons have demonstrated the ability to fast learning distinguish between direct and mirror images of figures that were oriented in different ways. The choice was made by pecking the object disc by the birds. The reaction time of the pigeons as the angular discrepancy increased was the same. Scientists don't yet know what form of information processing their brains use.

Does a pigeon know how to count? Many biological experiments have been carried out in which a pigeon was given one grain at a time. Moreover, after every six, the seventh grain, unfit for consumption, was necessarily added. Surprisingly, the pigeon quickly learned to count to six, never losing count, and immediately threw aside any seventh grain. Interestingly, the chimpanzee, without errors, learns the count only to five.

Reproductive behavior of pigeons

Pigeons are monogamous - they usually have permanent pairs. Sometimes the attachment of birds that have become spouses lasts the entire twenty-year-old bird's life. They are excellent parents, and even in the first days they feed their chicks with "bird's milk".

Courtship ceremony. The marriage of pigeons is associated with certain ceremonies. The pigeon begins its spring cooing and courting its girlfriend in February. He spreads his tail, importantly inflates his goiter and dances in front of her, bending and spinning in place. And if the dove, in response to the flirting of the male, lowers the feathers of the wings a little, then this shows that his courtship is accepted. And when she quietly hums and touches her boyfriend with her beak, it will mean that the marriage is concluded.

It is during the mating season that it is easy to distinguish by the behavior of the male from the female, which at other times are similar to each other like two drops of water. First, the male becomes more active. And secondly, following the advice of experienced pigeon breeders, the birds can be gently pulled by the beak - while the male will pull his head back, but the female will not. Or such a method - if, holding the bird by the wings, stroking it on the chest, the male will pick up his legs, but the dove will not.

Parenting behavior... Pigeons build their nests on trees and bushes, in hollows and human buildings. Twice a year, the dove lays 2 eggs, less often 1. It is interesting that in the program of their instinctive behavior there is a certain time for laying the first egg - this always happens after three o'clock in the afternoon. Chicks also adhere to an innate schedule, using a biological "clock" for this. They prefer to hatch from 10 to 12 noon. Eggs (from 14 to 30 days) are incubated by both parents, constantly replacing each other.

Chicks hatch naked and helpless and remain in the nest until they are fully fledged. And to feed them, the pigeons are provided with an amazing device - a goiter, which at this time replaces the udder: both the male and the female give off real "bird's milk", which is more like yellow sour cream. It is on chemical composition close to rabbit milk and tastes like rancid butter... Newborn chicks dip their long beaks into the parent's wide-open mouth and draw out a portion of milk. On this diet, babies grow by leaps and bounds - the very next day after leaving the egg, the chick becomes twice as heavy. A week later, the parents begin to mix the grains softened in the goiter into the milk, and then accustom them to coarser food - various seeds. It is interesting that the dove stops feeding the chicks with milk on the tenth day, but the male continues to do this for several days. By the way, it so happens that the dove frivolously leaves her husband and chicks, but a single dad usually successfully copes with raising offspring.

How often many of us have to see pigeons in our lives, and at the same time, how little we know about them. All the known information about our curly neighbors most often comes down to the fact that they eat seeds and various cereals (who will pour what), do not fly away for the winter and like to shit from the roofs. We have no time, and no need, to learn more - we think. Meanwhile, the world of even the most familiar animals for us can be very exciting.

Why do pigeons nod their heads while walking is a question that each of us has probably asked ourselves at least once. But for many, it, along with other questions about the life of these birds, still remains a mystery. For those who nevertheless decided to become a little closer to our feathered neighbors, this little story was created. In particular, let's try to figure out why pigeons have such a funny gait.

General information about pigeons

The weight of an adult pigeon usually varies from 200 to 650 g. Most often on the streets we see blue pigeons, which are one of 35 existing species... This genus of birds can be found in countries located on three continents of the earth: Africa, Eurasia and Australia. The life of a wild pigeon usually does not last more than 5 years. In captivity, they live 2-3 times longer, in rare cases even reaching 35 years.

Since people have learned to create new breeds of pigeons, more than 800 of them have been bred. Of these, about 200 are in Russia. The peculiarity of these birds is known to fly to their native nests even if they are hundreds of kilometers away from them. They can reach speeds of up to 100 km / h. The ancient Greeks, Persians, Romans, Jews and Egyptians learned to transmit various news through them. In many countries, pigeon mail operated officially, it was especially actively used during the war.

Strange pigeon gait

We are so accustomed to these feathered creatures that either we do not notice them at all, or everything in their behavior seems to us quite ordinary and explainable. But sometimes watching pigeons in a park or at a bus stop can give us some questions.

For example, why do pigeons nod their heads when walking? This strange gait seems very uncomfortable, it seems that it is given to them with great difficulty. But this is only at first glance. In fact, if they were created with the ability to move in this way, then it was necessary. In nature, nothing happens in vain.

Explanations of the pigeon gait

There are many hypotheses as to why pigeons nod their heads when walking. Some believe that in fact the nodding effect is created visually, but in fact the bird does not move it, moving only its body. The reason for the peculiarity of the pigeon gait is sometimes explained by the need to maintain body balance. For this purpose, small birds usually jump, and large ones waddle.

Someone believes that the structure of the pigeon, or rather the location of its eyes, is the cause of this phenomenon. The fact is that the bird's eyes are set on the sides of the head, and therefore it has an And just in order to see the whole picture in front of it at once, it makes a sharp nod when walking.

What did one experiment show?

In 1976, a scientist set up a very interesting experiment with pigeons. He placed the bird in a cube, where he installed a special treadmill so that the pigeon would not have the opportunity to get off it. The purpose of this experiment was to test whether the bird would nod its head in such an environment.

As it turned out, in such conditions the birds stop nodding their heads. Observing a pigeon running on a treadmill led the scientist to conclude that the nod was necessary to stabilize the image. In the process of running on a treadmill that moved with the pigeon, the need to stabilize the visible environment disappeared. According to this study, the best explanation for this question is the way pigeons see. By the way, if you blindfold a pigeon, it will also stop nodding while taking a step.

Unique pigeon vision

The difference between pigeon vision and human vision is that a person perceives the movements of objects, seeing 24 frames per second, and a pigeon needs to see as many as 75 frames for this. Therefore, they perceive everything that happens around them as separate pictures, which means that they notice an object approaching them at the last moment.

And although in this the vision of a pigeon is inferior to that of a human, it has clear advantages. None of us can boast of the ability to see as far as these birds. Just imagine, a pigeon is able to see an object at a distance of three kilometers. Appreciating this advantage, the United States even used their help in search and rescue operations.

How much we still do not know about our seemingly familiar environment. We see pigeons so often and know so little about them. Knowing why the pigeons nod their heads when walking, it will be much more interesting to observe these birds. Now you can try to imagine what the world looks like in their eyes and get a little closer to them. Let's notice the world around us, because it is very interesting and beautiful.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Pigeons have keen eyesight. Thanks to their eyes, they are able to navigate the terrain well. Bird vision features are inherited by their offspring. At breeding works pay attention not only to the exterior of the female and male, which form a parental pair, but also to test eyesight, hearing, and look at flight characteristics. Eye color is determined by the constituent of the pigment substance, which is located on the iris. What is the structure of the eyes of a pigeon? What does their color depend on?

Eye sign

The pigeon's eyes are large, deep-set. They are located on the sides of the head, closer to the beak. They are protected for centuries. In some breeds, there is a warty layer around the eye. It is protective, prevents dust from entering the mucous membrane. If a bird sits calmly on a parapet or on a branch, its eyes are gray, it means that it is sleeping, its eyes are closed. Gray tint Is not the color of the iris. This is the third eyelid that covers the eye. The pigeon does not know how to blink, removing dirt from the mucous membrane. This function is performed by the third eyelid. It is mobile. Located in the inner corner of the eye. The eyelid periodically extends, wetting and cleansing the mucous membranes of the eyes.

In addition to the eyelid, some species of flight breeds have bulky outgrowths above the eye, which prevent dust and small insects from getting onto the mucous membrane. Such protrusions are typical for sports pigeon breeds. Birds may have shields instead of protrusions. They are a century ahead. They seem to hang over the eye. Shields are a sign of good flying qualities in pigeons.

Pigeon eyes

The eyeball can be viewed as a collection of circles. They are clearly visible in bright light, so birds are examined under an electric lamp or in bright sunlight. The light won't hurt the eyes of the pigeon. Thanks to the iris, which determines the color of the eyes, and which is the diaphragm, birds quickly adapt to the penetration of bright light. Unlike other birds and animals, pigeons can stare into the sun for a long time. On examination of the organs of vision, the iris is immediately visible, but it is not the first layer of the eye. Colored circles are found between the iris and the pupil, which are the sign of the eye. According to them, the sports characteristics of the bird are determined:

the upper layer of the eyeball forms the pupil. It is small in size, round in shape. When examining a bird, it is necessary to find out how well the sphincter muscle works, which contributes to the narrowing and dilation of the pupil. On this layer, an image of objects is formed. It is also called the area recognition circle. A high-flying pigeon has an active and mobile pupil. In light-eyed birds, the pupil is less mobile than in dark-eyed individuals. If this function is not well developed, then the bird will rise to a low or maximum to an average height;
there is an adaptation circle around the pupil. It is slightly paler in color than the pupil. It is believed that the richer the shade of the adaptation circle, the better the bird's flight qualities. The pigment may be unevenly distributed throughout the entire circle, the best option is black on the bottom surface;

when examining a bird's eyes, a correlation circle is clearly visible. It goes from the pupil, capturing the iris layer, then spreads throughout the eye. In pigeons with good spatial orientation, the correlation circle has a star-like structure. In young animals, it is pink. In individuals of the older generation, it is dark, up to black. Experts say that the black color of the correlation circle indicates superpowers in the bird. It is extremely rare;
the correlation circle is framed by the iris. It is yellow-red in color; in pigeons, it can darken with age. If the iris is wide, takes the place of the adaptation and correlation circle, then the bird's high-flying qualities will be reduced, but the homing in pigeons is at a high level. If the iridescent layer is excessively expanded, has an intermittent color, then this indicates an individual with poor flight qualities and dubious mental abilities. Such a bird can get lost and will not show good results;
a circle of pigeon health is widespread around the rainbow layer. With an adaptation circle, it must have the same color and size. An extended or narrowed circle of health is characteristic of individuals with poor reproductive functions.

When examining a bird, the period of antibiotic use is taken into account. Using drugs changes occur in the eyeball. The pupil is not able to quickly respond to the brightness of the light beam, to display qualitatively the surrounding objects. The use of medication reduces the ability to navigate the terrain.

Eye tint

The color of the eyes of both humans and birds depends on the pigment of the iris, on the concentration of blood vessels and fibers. The fibers that make up the iris are blue. The high concentration of blood vessels gives the eyes a red color. At the same time, the density of fibers is low. The pigment, melanin, is always black or dark brown.

In addition to melanin, there is another substance on the iris that provides the eyes with yellow and green color... This is lipochrome. Other shades are the play of light, the quality of refraction of its rays. Together, they form yellow, pearl, amber, orange colors and shades. At exhibitions, they always consider what color pigeons have eyes? It must match the breed of bird.

Once we discussed such a phenomenon as homing - the instinct to return home, which is provided by the ability to orientate and navigate. They reasoned after being taken far, far from home.

But of course the most illustrative example of a homing function is the DOVE. It's not in vain that big time human history has existed and there is a pigeon mail. You can take a carrier pigeon, put it in the trunk of your car, and drive hundreds of kilometers - to places where a bird has never been. Let go and she will find her way home. Cases have been recorded when pigeons made their return journey of 1800 kilometers.

Scientists find it difficult to explain how pigeons do this. There have been many studies and experiences. During World War II, America spent a lot of money on research project codenamed "Project Pigeon", which studied the possibility of using carrier pigeons in a guidance system. A screen was set up in front of the bird, onto which an image of the terrain was projected, "broadcast" from the nose of the guided munition. The pigeon was required to peck at the screen with electrical contacts, thus keeping the "sight" on the object. True, nothing came of them.

So how do pigeons find their way home?

Thanks to orientation, they are able to determine their location in space and carry out targeted movements. And navigation is the most complex form of spatial orientation, which determines the ability of animals to choose the correct direction of movement during long-distance flights. All orientation processes take place with the participation of memory. The birds' navigation abilities are provided by genetic memory, and they have to memorize specific landmarks. Orientation processes include such components as information from external environment, sensory organs that perceive it, analyzers that process signals, and orientation behavior.

The functions of landmarks can be performed by objects and phenomena the environment, which are characterized by certain identifying features. It could be outlines settlement, smells, sounds, or the location of the Sun, Moon, stars and more. The birds know some types of landmarks from birth, and they learn the meaning of other landmarks as a result of training and experience. Perceiving information about landmarks, birds make a decision taking into account the current situation and then make purposeful movements.

Doves serve scientists great model to study the ability of birds to orientate. In spite of a long period their use and study, some questions about how birds taken hundreds of kilometers away from home orient themselves remain unanswered. Until now, it has not been finally clarified whether pigeons are guided by a mental spatial map or by memorized landmarks, and how much the sense of smell and perception of the magnetic field are involved in this process. Perhaps there are other environmental factors that scientists do not yet know or do not take into account. Many scientists believe that a whole complex of a wide variety of orientation methods is involved here, each of which is turned on at the right time.

For example, data from radio observations of pigeons, which were placed on their backs with a miniature transmitter with a battery and a 50-centimeter antenna, show the following. Pigeons do not return to the house in a straight line, but rather often change direction. However, the general direction of movement of the birds remains correct. Apparently, after each deviation, one or another method of orientation is triggered (depending on day or night, the sun is shining or the sky is covered with clouds). And in this way the pigeons correct the trajectory of movement. Solar compass and biological "clock". Many animals are guided to navigate by sunlight. These are crustaceans and spiders, fish and toads, turtles and alligators and, of course, birds, including pigeons. The solar-compass orientation of pigeons has such features. 1. To track the change in the azimuth of the Sun, they need to be tied to a system of fixed landmarks on the earth's surface (mountains, trees, the location of the nest). Young pigeons, who already know how to orient themselves near the dovecote according to local signs, should spend about a month more on mastering their orientation to the Sun.

To learn how the sun moves to pigeons, as well as to bees, it is enough to observe only half of its path. Scientists believe that the possibility of a wide extrapolation (prediction) of the course of the sundial indicates the existence of some kind of complex calculation apparatus in the central nervous system of pigeons. In addition, birds flying over the equator have a rather complex system of adapting the internal solar compass to the required direction of movement. Such an amazing ability to acquire knowledge about the movement of the Sun is innate in them. 2. In order to introduce a certain correction for the displacement of the star during the day, pigeons use their biological "clock" - the innate ability of their body to navigate in time. The operation of these mysterious "clocks" is based on the strict periodicity of the physical and chemical processes taking place in the cells. So, in the experiment, the birds were taught to move in a very different compass direction. For example, they were transported to a point with a different geographic longitude, which is why the internal countdown of the time of day of the pigeons diverged from the local one.

But when tested, they always changed the course by an angle close to the change in the solar azimuth for the period that corresponded to the mismatch between their internal and local time. Since astro orientation is impossible without measuring time, it is rightly said about the orientation of animals, and in particular pigeons, in space and time. And what is more important - when the sun is not visible in the blue sky, birds use the effect of light polarization, and in the early morning time - the light of dawn. And even in cloudy weather, they are guided by the brightest part of the sky - for example, pigeons and swallows find their way home. That is, the animals are given a wonderful opportunity to respond flexibly to changing lighting conditions in order to stay on course. Sunglasses. Seemingly small pigeon eyes actually cover almost the entire head. They are simply covered with plumage and skin. Pigeons see poorly in the dark, and attempts to breed a nocturnal breed of post birds that “work” during sleep of daytime feathered predators have failed.

If you look at the eyes of birds, there are more light-sensitive cells in their retinas than in other animals. Especially densely such cells fill the depression - the central fossa, which acts as a kind of telescope to enlarge the image. And near this telescope there is an organ that seems to have nothing to do with vision - the so-called scallop. But why is this bloodshot fold, like the fur of an accordion, as if pressed by a huge blind spot into the watchful eyes of the bird? Since scientists know that the body of any living creature is not given anything superfluous, certain studies have been carried out. They convince that the scallop is akin to dark sunglasses. Thanks to him, the birds look at the sun without blinking, and thus the "blind spot" helps migratory birds during migrations, and pigeons - in carrying out courier assignments. Special vision.

It is interesting that the eyes of a pigeon can select from the field of vision only that information that he needs at the moment, and does not notice other information. One of the US aviation firms invented the electronic eye, or rather the model of the bird's retina (145 light-sensitive photoreceptors and 386 neurons - artificial nerve cells). Such a model is able to determine the direction and speed of an object, its shape and size. The "eye" can, for example, recognize a bomber and a missile and not notice other flying objects. And thanks to the fact that the sight of a pigeon is many times sharper than that of a person, the US Rescue Society has developed a program to use trained birds to find and rescue people at sea. They will fly helicopters along with the rescue teams.

As soon as the pigeon sees the orange flag (the generally accepted signal for help), it will give the command a prearranged signal. Pigeons are able to see with their skin. And here's another striking fact, which is also included in the decoding of the bird orientation system. Bird watchers lit up a pigeon's nest one night and saw their amazing reaction - the blind chicks immediately started shaking their heads, waving their small wings in fright and even giving a voice. The flash of light caused the same effect when a light-tight cap was put on the head of the chicks. But if they covered the body, and the blind eyes were left outside, then the birds did not notice the light. There can be only one explanation for this - pigeons see with their skin! It remains to be determined what biochemical processes underlie this phenomenon, but scientists immediately suggested that light-sensitive skin somehow helps pigeons find their way home.

the possibility of orientation in the geomagnetic field. The Earth's magnetic field is often considered as a possible reference point for maintaining the course of birds and other animals. After all, our planet is a happy exception among others, since it has both its own life and its own magnetic field. And the connection between these two global phenomena undoubtedly exists, which is reflected, among other things, on the processes of orientation of animals. The Earth can be thought of as a huge uniformly magnetized sphere, and the compass needle at any point is set along the horizontal vector of the magnetic field strength. It is known about the existence of a kind of biological compass in some living organisms, such as termites, May beetles, and whales. Even bacteria "sense" the earth's magnetic field.

It was found that each of them contains a compass - a crystal of magnetite. Magnetic particles were found in different parts of the body of 60 species of living organisms - in the brain of bees, the body of salmon, and the abdomen of homing pigeons. Biologists have found similar formations from magnetite crystals in the human brain. And since nothing in the body of either animals or humans is useless, then they probably include at the right time and for certain purposes a kind of magnetic sense. In the late 70s, the American zoologist Charles Walcott conducted a series of biological experiments on carrier pigeons. On the head and neck of the bird, he fixed the conductors and passed an electric current through them, creating an artificial magnetic field. Pigeons, as a rule, immediately lost their orientation. This became an argument for those who argued that pigeons are able to "align" with the Earth's magnetic field. There is information that the electromagnetic pulses of powerful television stations confuse pigeons and prevent them from finding the right path. But there are other experiments in which tiny strong magnets were attached under the wings of birds. They distorted the natural magnetic field, but the birds did not notice this and traveled home hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, the "magnetic version" of the orientation of birds is not the only one. Are pigeons guided by smell?

In recent years, the hypothesis about the distant orientation of carrier pigeons by smell has been tested. This hypothesis seems doubtful to many, since in this case it is necessary to take into account the following:

When a familiar smell is detected, the pigeon should not fly in the wind, but in the direction in which the wind with the familiar smell was blowing during training at home.

The pigeon should have such a spatial map in which a certain smell corresponds to each compass direction.
The compass direction during training and at the location is determined using global fields - geomagnetic or astro-orientations.
The curvature of the air flow in atmospheric vortices (cyclones and anticyclones) can introduce an error in the choice of the compass direction.

And the receptors that perceive it are located somewhere inside the pigeon's ear. Infrasounds are born, for example, by various natural disasters - thunderstorms, earthquakes, which spread over thousands of kilometers in the atmosphere. This is probably why pigeons have a good presentiment of weather changes and earthquakes. In addition, scientists do not exclude the possibility that birds navigate long-distance flights with the help of infrasound.

sources

Doves in different religions of the world personify everything good and light: angels, human souls, dreams and good thoughts. These representatives of the bird class deserve such an attitude towards themselves because they have been faithful companions of man for many millennia. It is impossible to imagine any city square or park without the usual gray birds. They are so close to us that it seems that everything about them has been known for a long time. Nevertheless, pigeons are a very interesting species, amazing facts which is simply amazing.

This species is much more numerous than one might think: there are more than 300 subspecies in it, which differ in size, appearance and special features inherent only in them.

Plumage

In addition to the usual gray plumage, there are species with amazing bright colors: blue, green, red, yellowish. Such representatives are found not in our latitudes, but where lush greenery is riotous - in the tropics and subtropics. Bright appearance needed in order to become noticeable against the background of bright foliage. In the ranking of representatives with the most beautiful plumage, the leading places are occupied by the Asian fruity and sensitive pigeon with bright spots on the chest. These spots are used by them as a signal sign to identify their relatives and scare off natural enemies.

The scales on the feathers of pigeons are arranged in such a way that they can smooth out sharp air currents during flight. In terms of rigidity and smoothness, their plumage can compete with many others. migratory birds... Have certain types it has a structure that allows it to fly at such a low speed that any other species would have already fallen. From the side it may seem as if a pigeon is hovering in the sky. Lingering in the air, they can see everything far below.

There is an amazing subspecies in which feathers allow you to make specific sounds as air flows through them. Through such "singing" they can communicate with each other.

An adult male or female may have about 10 thousand feathers on its body. If this figure drops sharply, then the bird is sick.

Physiology

The body of pigeons keeps many secrets that it turned out to be learned only in the course of long research. They have amazing features that allow them to perfectly match the environment in which they live. High adaptability provided them with a huge life expectancy for such small birds - about 20 years.

Eye like an eagle

The vision of pigeons is highly accurate. In order to perfectly see distant objects and landscape elements from a great height, they have a small depression in their eyes, completely filled with light-sensitive cells. This structure acts as a telescope, bringing the image closer several times.

Such eyes have an amazing property: they are not afraid of direct rays of the sun, bright light or flashes during a thunderstorm. This is because the retina instantly changes its density, becoming less transparent, and protects the delicate structure of the eye from negative influences.

In addition, the speed of pigeon vision is 3 times higher than that of a human. This means that in 1 second we can perceive 24 frames, while pigeons - 75. It is for this reason that they often fall into the windshields and under the wheels of cars: it just seems to them that the car is going very slowly, and there is still time enough. But their viewing angle is 360 °: it is impossible to sneak up on a pigeon, since he perfectly sees everything that is happening behind him.

Speed

These birds are not adapted to walk quickly: they have too short legs. The fingers have thin skin, so they are sensitive, but it is impossible to take an object in the paw. But their wings are excellent: the record, which was recorded during the flight, is 1.6 km / min. In addition, they are very hardy and can fly 900-3000 km per day at a speed of 70 km / h.

Some species like to do amazing tricks in the air. For example, the Birmingham Rollerski: they like to do a series of somersaults, which is very amusing to the people watching them. The salon roller does the same, but on the ground. Scientists have not been able to establish what gives such somersaults to birds, but they do it with obvious pleasure. Maybe they just love the process, the way dolphins like to jump out of the water while playing.

Skill vertical takeoff and a sharp descent made it possible for them to live in arid regions, where water can only be obtained by sinking to the bottom of a deep well.

I go to the instruments

Each pigeon in the body has its own built-in navigation systems that allow it to navigate unmistakably over long distances. This amazing set of devices never fails and always brings the bird to the right place.

For the exact location, 3 mechanisms are simultaneously used: unmistakable memorization of landscape elements, restoration of any shades of odors in memory and orientation according to the position of the Sun. Such a navigation system is often harmed artificial lighting night streets.

Antigourmets

In food, pigeons are extremely unpretentious, therefore they are called "city flying rats", but everyone loves to feed them. In order to digest a variety of foods, the digestive system has an amazing structure: food goes through the esophagus to the stomach, from where it passes into the goiter. The goiter consists of a couple of compartments, the left one is filled with the first one, and after it is loaded to the top, the right one starts to load. That is why pigeons can eat a lot of food at one time, having an average digestive device between a camel and a hamster.

In order to drink water, they also have developed an interesting mechanism: they immerse their beak in water and draw in liquid through it, like a cocktail through a straw.

But the well-known myth about bird milk in their case is almost real: adults feed the chicks with special milk, which looks like liquid sour cream. On such a diet, the chicks grow at an amazing pace, since already on the second day of life they gain in weight exactly 2 times.

Memory

The brain of this species of birds is constantly examined, and the series of discoveries in this direction does not stop. It has been established that the memory and memorization abilities of pigeons are unique. Simple tests give an idea of how their brains work: the pigeon was shown pictures at the speed of 1 image in 3 seconds for 10 minutes. After certain pictures, a grain was dropped from the side tray. After repeating the test a day later and serving food in the same sequence, the scientists made sure that the beak reached for the tray only after those pictures after which the seed was given out the day before. In repeated tests, not a single error was recorded either.

In addition, these birds are capable of memorizing different people. For the experiment, 2 brothers were in contact with the birds, very similar in appearance. One of them was kind to the pets, and the second chased them and shouted. When after a while the brothers returned to them, the birds unmistakably recognized both, striving to be closer to the first and stay away from the second.

Psychology

The psychology and intelligence of pigeons is much more complex and deeper than people are used to thinking. They have amazing relationships and interactions in the community. For example, they are able to find a compromise solution that suits everyone in a problem situation. This was established during an experiment where the birds could return to the house alone or together. They preferred to change the route so that the maximum time to fly in a way that is less convenient for everyone, but equally suitable for everyone.

They also demonstrate superstitious behavior. Back in the last century, a study was published, during which two specimens were placed in a cage, where they were periodically given grain. During the experiment, it was noticed that six out of eight behaved strangely: one periodically stuck his head into the corner of the cage, the second sometimes began to walk around the cage in a clockwise cage, etc. Research has shown that birds believe that specific behaviors can speed up feed delivery. In humans, this behavior is called "superstition."

In both sexes of this species, intelligence is developed in different ways: as a rule, males are smarter, and females are more loyal.

In addition, they are able to identify their reflection in the mirror. Apart from them, this feature is shown only by animals with high level intelligence: dolphins, elephants, orangutans and chimpanzees. A person reaches this level of development only at 1.5 years.

These birds surprised with their abilities in the field of mathematics. They clearly showed that they are characterized by analytical thinking and the construction of cause-effect relationships. During the experiment, the pigeons were shown three sets of objects on the display different forms and flowers. The first set had one item, the second had two, and the third had three. The birds were supposed to peck at the sets in ascending order of the number of items they contained. When the number of sets and the number of items contained in them increased to 9, the birds easily completed the task correctly, although people did not explain to them that there could be more after 3 items. This made it possible to understand that pigeons are very highly trainable and understand the abstract nature of numbers.

Family matters

These birds differ from most in their amazing fidelity: most often the pair remains for life. Pigeon "weddings" were observed by many. The male first courting his lady, spreading his wings and dragging them on the ground in a picturesque way. If the female also lowers her fluffy wings to the ground, then she accepts these courtship. The final chord is the female's beak touching the male's beak and loud cooing.

There is one amazing feature associated with the production of pigeons into the world: the female cannot lay eggs without seeing the male. IN artificial conditions they are deceived by installing mirrors while the expectant mother sits in the nest.

It very rarely happens that a female in noisy and bustling places can leave the male with her children. The male stays in a deep stressful state for some time, but after coming to his senses, he takes care of the chicks with a vengeance, since he has nowhere to expect help.

Faithful friends

Pigeons were domesticated a very long time ago - about 5 thousand years ago, presumably this happened in Mesopotamia, where the first documentary mentions of them were found. Since then, the birds have been around all the time and rescued people in different situations. In Egypt, people placed birds of this species in burials, believing that they would help the soul to get into the kingdom of the dead.

Pigeon mail was used by many people significant for history, such as Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and others. With the help of feathered postmen, urgent messages were delivered about battles, death or birth of members of royal families.

In the 11th century, the cost of a good carrier pigeon was higher than the cost of a thoroughbred horse, because in those days it served as the most modern iPhone and high-speed means of communication. Through the centuries, with the invention of radio, pigeon mail has lost its relevance. But people were able to appreciate it again during the wars, when the wire connection was unstable.

They performed a special function during the Second World War. With the help of pigeon mail, about 15 thousand letters were delivered. This means of transmitting information was very reliable, 98% of the items found their addressees. Not all mail services could boast of such efficiency, even in peacetime.

One pigeon during the First World War by the timely delivery of information saved a huge detachment of soldiers. The gratitude of the people was so great that this brave male was officially awarded the rank of colonel in the English army. Until the end of his days, he lived with the soldiers, and after death he was buried according to the army tradition with all the honors that are given to a colonel.

In addition to pigeon mail and war, these birds were used for aerial photography, because this method is practically cost-free compared to shooting from an airplane.

The benefits for people are not limited to practical applications, they are able to present many hours of interesting and informative observations. Everyone who has ever bred these smart, funny and amazing birds knows this.