Messenger Pigeon, Wow! Blog post: #7

Messenger Pigeon, Wow! Blog post: #7

Introduction

In class I learned a lot about what a messenger pigeon was. At first glance, I actually had no idea this was actually at one point in time a real thing. I have always seen it in movies, especially ones during the medieval ages like Shrek for example, and am fascinated to learn that it really was a thing once upon a time.

The presentation

From what I got from the presentation, messenger pigeons were used all the way until 1150. They were used for communicating, long before cell phones. All they would do is literally train a pigeon to carry a message, usually a paper or bottle holding a paper, and it would fly to it's destination. Even with their small size, messenger pigeons can transport packages weighing up to 2.5 ounces. They traveled all the way up to 500 miles in a single flight and can fly at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. A pigeon does this!

What was it really used for?

For the most part, it seems that messenger pigeons were not usually used in the most peaceful ways. I learned that they were used to communicate to other counties or providences very frequently, and the most recent one being WW1. Often times it was leaders communicating with one another, and it fascinates me still that they somehow trained a pigeon to do this.

What I found on my own research

Ancient civilizations including the Persians, Egyptians, and Romans all used messenger pigeons. Ancient civilizations employed these birds to transmit messages over great distances because they valued them. Homing pigeons were employed very frequently as said before in the medieval era to carry messages from castles to battlegrounds, and they even had a significant impact on how some fights turned out.

Messenger Pigeons today

With the development of new technology, including the telegraph, phones, and most importantly the internet, the use of messenger pigeons decreased. I did not know this either until further research, but they are actually still utilized in some situations today, such as those where there is little to no access to the internet.

Conclusion

To conclude, messenger pigeons have been an important part of human history, especially in military communication. These birds continue to serve as a symbol of our ancestors' inventions and resourcefulness even with their decreased use with newer, better, faster technology