Pigeons navigate by smell?

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Folks,

Found this news report on the internet suggesting that pigeons use their sense of smell to find their way home more so than the earth's magnetic fields. The tests were done on homing pigeons but would seem to suggest that this is the same for wild pigeons as well, in a lesser degree perhaps?

This goes against a popular belief that most birds, including pigeons, don't have a very highly developed sense of smell. I'm not sure what to think, but here's the article:

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/...07_290480.html

[Trees Gray]

Hi Brad,

Thanks for sharing the link. I went ahead and printed it so I can and it with my other information on navigation skills of pigeons.

I always thought that their"sense" of smell might possibily have something to do with their navigational skills but never realized it was to such extent! My birds will back-off at their waterer sometimes when there is garlic in it, and I have been wondering about their actually smelling it so well before they EVEN taste it.

I did see that the scientist cut the nerves that carried the olfactory signals as well as the trigeminal nerve on those youngsters to do the experiment, and I don't like that at all. Well, what is done is done...

I still think their navigational skills of taking mental pictures of where they have been, and their built in compass are quite unique and that is what allows them to come home quickly, together with their sense of smell, which helps them over long distances.

[TAWhatley]

Very interesting indeed but sad for the birds lost in the process. I'm not sure what to think of it either.

Terry

[karla]

Very interesting article!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing Brad!

Karla

[arnieismybaby]

Thanks for posting that Brad - I found it very interesting, I would never have guess that they use this sense to navigate. You learn something new every day.

Michelle.

[mr squeaks]

Mmmm, now THAT article brings up an interesting question...

If pigeons have such a great sense of smell, does that mean that, if I played hide and seek with Squeaks, he would find me faster if I didn't take a bath for a week or so???

Don't think I will try that experiment tho, unless I wasn't expecting visitors or going anywhere in that time period! Pungent could be too nice a term!

[Feather]

Thanks Brad,

That was a fasinating article! I followed Treesa and filed it.

Feather

[Vasp]

Interesting article - but I'm quite sure that it has been proven quite many times over that birds don't have great sense of smell. That's why, when they're gone, you can touch their babies and rub your hands all over their nests without them noticing that you were there. Of course, rumors did say that touching a bird's young or eggs would cause the bird to abandon them - but of course it was proven wrong due to the fact that birds have a pretty bad sense of smell. They have very keen eyesight and hearing, though, so that makes up for it.

[mr squeaks]

Maybe we should just ask the pigeon(s)... Although, I have to say that Squeaks seems to find me no matter WHERE I hide -er- go...

Personally, I think they CAN smell. AND, if anyone even THINKS about making a "comment," Squeaks and I will WING-FU and beak strike!

Who is our "Pigeon Whisperer?"

[Lovebirds]

I'm not sure I beleive all of this. One test doesn't prove anything. They released two groups of 24 in which two nerves, (whatever they were) were cut. Heck, I've released 2 groups of birds where I didn't cut NOTHIN' and one group made it home just fine and the other didn't. Something like this would need to be tested over and over to see if you ALWAYS get the same results. I don't think so.
We don't know if they were young or old birds, were all healthy or maybe some sick, were they trained at all? Lots of unknowns.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

I'm not sure I beleive all of this. One test doesn't prove anything.
We don't know if they were young or old birds, were all healthy or maybe some sick, were they trained at all? Lots of unknowns.

Hi Renee,

I tend to agree with what you're saying. These are good questions and variables to consider. I really do have a hard time believing that pigeons use smell in any degree to "home". This would seem to indicate that their sense of smell is VERY powerful, almost like a dog's keen sniffer.

One of the only birds that I know of that does have a very good sense of smell is the kiwi of New Zealand. This is a very strange and prehistoric oddball of a bird.

[ZigZagMarquis]

Who knows. There could or couldn't be a "smell" factor in homers finding their way home. They have done experiments where they have "blind-folded" pigeons by placing little, opaque contact lenses on experienced racing homers and gone out and tossed them. As the story goes, they took off in every direction and the testers thought they were all lost, destined to die in the wild, but upon returing to their loft, found that the birds did find their way home, plopping onto the ground and loft, basically getting to within apx 75 feet of their loft, even though "blind"... getting inside their loft was a different matter... I beleive as the story goes, the fanciers had to catch the birds and remove the opaque lenses applied to their eyes, then they were fine again.

[Lovebirds]

OK. I've heard that to, but.............we have pigeons every day that hit wires, side of BIG buildings, fly in front of cars and these are birds that can see, so some one's going to tell me that birds flew 1 mile, 10 miles, 50, 100?? and never hit anything but had a perfect flight home without knowing where they were going but got home to the loft they knew and were raised in but could not find their way to it or into it? Don't quite believe this one either.

[george simon]

I just don't understand why they are trying to find one thing when the birds use all their senses,sight,smell.and hearing. Without any one the bird is handicaped ,yes they may get home without one but they won't win a race. Pigeons can see ultra violet light,they can hear sounds that the human ear can not (infrasound) and these infrasounds can travel hundreds of miles. Ocean waves can create these sounds earthquakes can, go to google and type in (infrasound pigeons) I believe that the birds use all of these systems and one system will take over from the other as needed. I think that all these scientists are on a wild goose chase After all they have to spend the money the goverment gives them. ......GEORGE

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by george simon

I just don't understand why they are trying to find one thing when the birds use all their senses,sight,smell.and hearing. Pigeons can see ultra violet light,they can hear sounds that the human ear can not (infrasound) and these infrasounds can travel hundreds of miles. Ocean waves can create these sounds earthquakes can

Hi George,

You make very good points here and this makes sense to me too. I believe, like you, that they use "combined" senses to help them find their way home. Enhanced sight and hearing (to me) seem to be the most logical of the senses that would be used by pigeons