Community Magazine October 2019

96 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Exploring the Mysteries of the Animal Kingdom Torah Pigeons and doves both belong to the Columbidae family, which includes over three hundred species of birds. The terms “pigeons” and “doves” are often used interchangeably, because the two birds are so similar. In Hebrew, both the dove and the pigeon are called yonah . The dove is mentioned often in the Torah, and in a very positive light. It is probably best known for the role it played with Noach while in the tevah . That’s when it proved itself to be a reliable and trustworthy messenger. The Mabul lasted for forty days and nights, as heavy rains poured down upon the surface of the earth. Even after the rain ended, there was still water everywhere, so Noach, his family, and the animals could not leave the tevah . Reuters News, an international news agency, started its European business in 1850, using forty-five homing pigeons that carried the latest news from Germany to Belgium. Pigeons that are used to send messages are called homing pigeons. These birds are domesticated and are selectively raised and trained to find their way home over extremely long distances. Homing pigeons have been documented flying as long as 1,100 miles! The training process begins by releasing the pigeon near home and gradually increasing the distance. However, homing pigeons only work in one direction. They can only go back to one “mentally marked” point that they have identified as their home. So “pigeon post” can only work when the sender is actually holding the receiver's pigeon. In order to send a message, one first needs to transport the pigeon to another person. When the other person has to send the first one a message, he places the message in a special lightweight case that is attached to the pigeon, and then he releases the pigeon. The bird will immediately fly “home” – to the first person. Homing pigeons have been used to communicate over long distances since the time of the ancient Egyptians. They were also used extensively in both World War I and World War II, and had over a 90 percent successful delivery rate. Several pigeons even received medals for their service in delivering crucial messages during wartime! What Are Homing Pigeons? Pigeons in the News