Uncovering Pigeon Facts, Prof Ronny R Noor: The Bird That Can ‘Breastfeed’
Pigeons are one of the most inspiring birds in human life. The term ‘tame-pigeon’ or the loyalty to a mate exemplified by pigeons seems to be inherent in human life. Not only that, various studies have shown that pigeons also have a high level of intelligence.
According to IPB University Ecological Genetics Expert Prof Ronny Rachman Noor, the domestic pigeon, known by its Latin name Columba livia domestica, is a member of the Columbidae family, which is known for its uniqueness.
The pigeon is still in the same family as the famous Dodo bird, an icon of extinction. Its uniqueness has inspired many adventure stories that have made it to the big screen.
“Based on historical records, interactions between humans and pigeons have occurred thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia in Iraq around 3000 BC,” said the Professor of IPB University.
Pigeons have a very high sense of socialisation. No wonder, pigeons usually live in groups of about 20-30 birds.
Prof Ronny said another uniqueness of pigeons that inspires many people is their loyalty. Once a pigeon is mated and paired, it will last a lifetime. Pigeon couples usually care for two offspring simultaneously.
“The equality and responsibility of mother and male pigeons is also extraordinary. Both the male and the mother take turns incubating the eggs, feeding and raising their young,” he explained.
However, Prof Ronny continued, there is one uniqueness of pigeons that is very rarely possessed by other birds. That is the ability of both males and females to produce ‘milk’ which is very useful for the growth and development of their young.
“In this world, there are only three types of birds that produce ‘milk’, namely pigeons, flamingos and male emperor penguins,” he said.
Prof Ronny said, “Unlike mammals that produce and deliver milk to their young through the nipple, pigeons produce and store their milk in the cache. This milk becomes the main food for their young by passing it from the adult pigeon to the young.”
Pigeon milk is thick and yellow in colour. It contains protein, fat and antioxidants. Physiologically, Prof Ronny said, the production of this milk is stimulated by the presence of the hormone prolactin just like in humans.
“This high nutritional content allows pigeons to grow and develop very fast and healthily,” Prof Ronny explained.
Another unique feature of pigeons is their highly sophisticated navigation system. They have the ability to find their way home even after travelling a long distance. Even with the rapid development of science today, it has not been able to uncover the secret of the pigeon’s ability to find its way home.
“Various speculations have led to the theory that the pigeon’s extraordinary ability is a combination of the ability to sense the presence of magnetic fields, the presence of special receptors in the eyes, the use of the sense of smell and the ability to use low infrasonic frequencies,” said Prof Ronny.
Based on the pigeon’s navigation ability, it is no wonder that pigeons are used and involved in various wars to send secret messages. These secret notes are usually attached to the legs and back.
“Not many people know that pigeons have extraordinary hearing acuity. This ability is related to detecting low sound frequencies that humans cannot hear. With this ability, pigeons can hear the sound of storms and mountain eruptions that are very far away,” he added.
According to Prof Ronny, pigeons can fly up to 1,828.8 metres above sea level at an average speed of 125 km per hour. The fastest pigeon flight speed has even reached a record of 149 km per hour.
With these unique features, it is not surprising that pigeons attract the attention of hobbyists as pets.
“So it is not surprising that the uniqueness of pigeons, which have a life expectancy of 3-4 years, has attracted celebrities such as Claude Monet, Picasso, Walt Disney, Elvis Presley and Mike Tyson to use pigeons as a source of inspiration as well as a hobby animal,” said Prof Rony. (*/Rz) (IAAS/RUM)
