Doubleshadow
Too much is not enuff!
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2006
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I just wanted to share some information I learned about pigeons, the bird we take for granted.
- When the pilgrims came to the US, the most frequent bird was the passenger pigeon estimated to be about 3-5 billion. On September 1, 1914 the last of this species died at 1 pm (Martha - named after George Washington's wife). They were extinct because of hunting and loss of habitat in less than 300 years.
- Homing pigeons has been known to fly as far as 1689 miles back to their home never once losing their way. They can cruise at 30mph and in bursts of up to 60mph. Some believe they can utilize the earth magnetic field as a compass.
-Cher Ami (French for "Dear Friend) was a famous male homing pigeon. He was owned by the US Army Signal Corps. The US 77th. Division was lost and being fired upon by the US artillery in WWI. 2 homing pigeons were sent to let the Americans know they were killing their own soldiers, but both were shot down by german sharp shooters. Cher Ami was the last pigeon and the last hope they had. He was sent and as he was flying he was shot and plummeted to earth, but somehow regained his flying altitude. He landed on the American position and delivered the message. The leg the message was tied to was hanging by a ligament he was shot through the breast. He was awarded the French medal, "Croix de Guerre". He saved 194 soldiers and despite his wounds he lived till 1919. He now stands on one leg in the National Museum of American History in the exhibit, "The Price of Freedom."
- Pigeons have followed humans all through history and are on every continent save Antartica. They are resistant to bird flu viruses.
There are many more notable events of these noble birds, but I wanted to write this so you would remember it the next time they hit you with a **** missle while reading the sports news on a train station.
- When the pilgrims came to the US, the most frequent bird was the passenger pigeon estimated to be about 3-5 billion. On September 1, 1914 the last of this species died at 1 pm (Martha - named after George Washington's wife). They were extinct because of hunting and loss of habitat in less than 300 years.
- Homing pigeons has been known to fly as far as 1689 miles back to their home never once losing their way. They can cruise at 30mph and in bursts of up to 60mph. Some believe they can utilize the earth magnetic field as a compass.
-Cher Ami (French for "Dear Friend) was a famous male homing pigeon. He was owned by the US Army Signal Corps. The US 77th. Division was lost and being fired upon by the US artillery in WWI. 2 homing pigeons were sent to let the Americans know they were killing their own soldiers, but both were shot down by german sharp shooters. Cher Ami was the last pigeon and the last hope they had. He was sent and as he was flying he was shot and plummeted to earth, but somehow regained his flying altitude. He landed on the American position and delivered the message. The leg the message was tied to was hanging by a ligament he was shot through the breast. He was awarded the French medal, "Croix de Guerre". He saved 194 soldiers and despite his wounds he lived till 1919. He now stands on one leg in the National Museum of American History in the exhibit, "The Price of Freedom."
- Pigeons have followed humans all through history and are on every continent save Antartica. They are resistant to bird flu viruses.
There are many more notable events of these noble birds, but I wanted to write this so you would remember it the next time they hit you with a **** missle while reading the sports news on a train station.
