EOTO: Carrier Pigeons

Carrier pigeons were one of the first success stories in communication history. Often undermined, these talented birds were trusted with the delivery of important messages for centuries. In some cases, their bravery was rewarded on a military level. It is a fact that we would not be the interconnected society of cellphones and instant messaging without them. 

The earliest use of carrier pigeons was recorded in Ancient Egypt around 1350 BCE. Back then, the pigeons would send word of major agricultural changes and serve military leaders as they sought to conquer faraway lands. Soon enough, Greece joined the party and used carrier pigeons to announce the winners of the Olympic Games. 

Despite common belief, these birds were used more modernly as well. Carrier pigeons played a large role in the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. The city was cut off from the outside world, preventing any individual from passing and alerting those outside the gates. But, luckily enough, a carrier pigeon was able to be secretly exported past the gates and carry with it word from inside the fortress. A new technique was born during this time: microfilm. The microfilm process consisted of photographing documents and shrinking them to a smaller size, thus storing more information on a single piece of film. This way, more messages were capable of being delivered on one bird. 

Carrier pigeons, also referred to as homer pigeons or messenger pigeons, are the product of the interbreeding of the rock pigeon. Due to their calm nature and immaculate navigation skills, this breed of pigeon allowed for simple domestication and accurate message delivery over long distances. They used the sun's position as a compass and the Earth's magnetic field astoguide them on their journey. They also have an amazing smell that they can use to differentiate certain cues. These birds can fly for about 600-700 miles in a day at speeds up to 60-80 mph. 

Throughout history, carrier pigeons have been the saving grace for many struggling to communicate due to a number of different reasons. During 
World War I, radio communication was commonly intercepted by the enemy, which made warning one another of dangerous attacks nearly impossible. However, due to carrier pigeons, they had the ability to evade on-ground warfare and avoid being hijacked by enemy forces, successfully delivering important warnings that resulted in many lives being saved. A famous example is of the pigeon Cher Ami that, despite being wounded in the heat of battle, successfully completed her mission and saved countless lives in the process. Carrier pigeons also assisted the Navy by transporting messages from ships onto the shore when there were plane crashes and all other methods of communication had failed. 

These birds of flight have had one of the strongest roles in evolving communication technology, as it is known in the modern world. Carrier pigeons were one of the most reliable methods of communication at their time, unaffected by certain natural disasters and human error. These pigeons have been trusted time and time again to deliver important messages with accuracy and reliability. It is true that carrier pigeons are not used nearly as often as they were in the past. However, it is also a fact that we would be nowhere close to the level of communication we have today without their resilience and bravery.