New Biological Mechanism Discovered that may Explain Pigeon's Homing Ability

This May 2026 article in the journal Science discusses an experiment testing whether iron-rich cells in a pigeon's liver may explain the birds' ability to sense magnetic fields. Read or listen to the article here.

The Winged Hero Who Retired to the Detroit Zoo

Michigan Public Radio ran a segment on Stateside featuring pigeon hero G.I.Joe, who saved 1,000 U.S. and British soldiers during 20 combat missions in World War II. Listen to the story here. Photograph of G.I. Joe to the right as published by Michigan Radio.

The Pigeon Hustle

PBS program Nova, season 44, episode 3. A documentary that discusses the history of pigeons, follows the life cycle of pigeons living in modern urban environments, and the homing abilities of pigeons. View the program here. Note that a PBS Passport membership is required to access the show.

Pigeon Research

Despite centuries of research, no one yet fully understands how pigeons are able to find home over long distances and from places they've never been before. Here, you can read or listen to a recent article in the journal Science that discusses a newly discovered mechanism by which pigeons are believed to be able to sense the earth's magnetic fields.

Racing Pigeon Sells for $1.9 Million

Auction prices for top racing pigeons have never been higher. Here, read or watch a CBS News story about the most expensive pigeon in the world. The new popularity of pigeon racing among newly affluent Chinese pigeon fanciers appears to be driving prices up around the world.

This is a picture of New Kim that appears in the story and is credited to Yves Herman of Reuters News Service.

Pigeon Theft Increases in Europe

As One Loft Racing purses grow larger, an organized criminal enterprise has been targeting the lofts of the most successful European pigeon breeding lofts. CBS Sixty Minutes tells the story here. 

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