Homing pigeons share secrets

HOMING pigeons can pass on the secrets of navigation to their companions and offspring – just like humans.

They share the capacity to build on the knowledge of others, which may explain how their navigational accuracy improves over time, said an Oxford University study.

Until now only humans and possibly some primates were believed to be capable of this “cumulative culture”.

This was challenged in the project run by Takao Sasaki and Dora Biro, research associates in the department of zoology. They began with a pigeon which had learnt to fly from a farm to the university field station in Wytham, a direct route of 8.6km.

After 12 flights, it was paired with another bird who did not know the way. After they had completed the task 12 times, the first bird was replaced by one which had not flown the route. The pattern of replacing the more experienced pigeon with a naive one was repeated over five “generations” comprising 60 flights.

Over this time, they knocked 1.2km off the total distance, getting close to the shortest flight path of 8.6km.

A group of solo birds cut just 0.05km while pairs who flew together the whole time improved by just 0.04km revealed GPS in backpacks carried by the birds.

Nature Communications journal said the scientists will now study other species to see if they have similar abilities. – Daily Mail