Pigeon Intern

Josh Kuszmaul is World Bird Sanctuary's first Homing Pigeon intern.

 Josh Kuszmaul, World Bird Sanctuary's first pigeon intern, holds two of his charges

Josh is from Eastern Ohio and attends Ohio State University during the college year.  His major is Animal Science with a minor in Environmental Science. 

Josh has had prior experience raising Pheasants, Turkey, Guinea Fowl and Quail, so our flock of Homing Pigeons seemed to be a natural for him.  His focus so far has been to get the young birds flying almost daily. He has separated the Loft into 3 main areas--the breeders in Coop 3, the experienced team into Coop 2 and the rookies into Coop 1.

Josh also has begun to try to improve our breeding program by pairing birds with the best flying records to improve the flock’s “Homing” genes. He has also paired up some of the vibrantly colored hens with the more colorful males.  In addition, he has really focused on trying to breed for more birds with white feathers.

Josh is quite gregarious and will often be the instigator of fun and laughter among volunteers, interns and staff.  He has also exhibited somewhat of a Tom Sawyer characteristic in that he has involved all of the other interns in catching up the birds to take out to release, medicating a pigeon which was strafed by a hawk and hand raising a baby pigeon that I have affectionately begun to call "Shortbread".

Josh told me that they had some real excitement the other day.  A squirrel crawled into the loft and was in there when he went into the coop.  It’s a toss-up as to who was more startled—the human or the squirrel.  I could attest to that by the table that was knocked over, the oyster shell spilled on the floor and the brooms and duster strewn around, with which Josh was trying to coax the squirrel out of the loft.  Josh said that at one point he thought the squirrel was going to run up his leg.

When asked what originally sparked his interest in the Homing Pigeon project, Josh said, “I think it is fascinating in the big races that the Homing Pigeons travel 500 miles & come back." 

Josh is fun to be around and I will continue to urge him to keep learning while improving our Pigeon Loft operation.  I am glad he decided to take on the Homing Pigeons as his Intern Project.

Submitted by Michael Zeloski, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist 

THE PIGEONS FLEW HOME

The two pigeons pictured are named Pete and Big Red. They hatched in 2004 and were trained that year. They have been exercising, flying and doing special events ever since.

Pete is a Grizzle, which is typified by a bird that is mostly off-white with flecks of green and purple in their feathers. Pete also has pearl colored eyes.

Big Red is a Red Bar, which is a mostly light grey bird with red stripes on his wings and hints of red on his head and neck. Big Red has orange eyes.

These two birds have been hired to fly for countless events, such as weddings like the one at the Missouri Botanical Garden, birthday parties and funerals.

Their most recent flight was for a graveside release at a funeral.  The Funeral was at a Christian Church off of South Lindbergh.  A friend's mother died.  She was in her 90's.  Our friend wanted the Homing Pigeons released in the cemetery near her place of Final Rest.  After the Minister said some prayers and some other nice words, she asked everyone to look over to the side, where our Homing Pigeons were waiting in the release baskets. When the minister signaled for the birds to be released the birds flew out and circled up, up, up, and then away.  Pete and Big Red, along with other birds in our flock, have been flying home for events such as these since 2004.

Pete and Big Red have flown home from weddings in West Alton, Illinois, Hillsboro, Crystal City, St. Charles and Washington Missouri, the Missouri Botanical Garden and other beautiful locations. When flying they average about 45 miles per hour. Pete and Big Red have evaded hawks like the Red-tailed Hawk and the Cooper's Hawk and the Peregrine Falcons since 2004. I'm proud to know these two birds and many other strong flyers like them.

Call us to have Pete and Big Red part of your special event, like the recent 60th Birthday party that they attended, or to lend a whole new special meaning to a Brownie Fly-up ceremony.  Send the birds into the air and watch as they magically fly Home.

Call 636-225-4390 to have these beautiful birds become a part of your special event.

Submitted by Michael Zieloski World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Interesting Pigeon History

I’d be willing to guess that very few people have ever heard of “Project Pigeon”.  I sure hadn’t, but I discovered it when I was at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. recently.  It’s really quite interesting!

In 1939, a behavioral psychologist named Burrhus Frederic Skinner wondered if birds could be used as kamikaze pilots for bombs.  This thought occurred during the beginnings of WWII, when the Germans had bombed Warsaw.  Skinner decided to work with pigeons because they have better vision than humans, are faster in movements, can distinguish colors, don’t get airsick and are easily handled.

He first trained them to peck at a specific picture/target by rewarding them with food when they hit the target with their beak.  He also trained them to be comfortable in a harness while they pecked at the target and ate their rewards.  When they had learned this, he progressed to training the pigeons to ‘steer’ their bomb.  Skinner designed a system that had moving pairs of lightweight rods around the pigeon’s neck.  When the bird lifted or lowered its head, it closed electrical contacts to operate a hoist.  When it moved its head from side to side, the hoist moved back and forth.  Skinner would push the whole thing across the room and the birds learned to guide it straight towards the target, finally receiving its reward at the end.  The pecking itself was transmitted as electrical signals to a control center.  When the image of the target started to move off center, the pigeons would peck frantically to bring the device back on track (and to get their reward!)

In June of 1941, Skinner brought his idea and research to the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), but was told ‘no’.  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Skinner filmed his pigeons in action and went back to the NDRC.  This time they showed a little interest, but still thought it was a long shot.  Another gentleman, A.D. Hyde, the head of the mechanical division in General Mills Inc., thought the idea was sound and decided to help Skinner.  Hyde convinced his company to back the project.

In June of 1943, after refining the system and updating the apparatus, Skinner won a contract with the government for “Project Pigeon”.  He worked with 64 pigeons, training them extensively to guide their bomb, even with wartime distractions such as gunfire or other loud noises nearby, high altitude (10,000 ft), bright flashes, simulated shell bursts, massive G forces and, the worst potential distraction of all, pigeons of the opposite sex.  Nothing deterred those military pigeons from their duty!

Unfortunately for Skinner, and perhaps fortunately for his pigeons, in September of 1943 the German government used missiles controlled by radio to wreak havoc on the American fleet landing soldiers in Salerno.  By October of 1944, the American government decided that their funding should go towards figuring out how to copy the German ingenuity and not towards the pigeons.  Skinner was out.  And so were the pigeons.  But it is a fascinating bit of history that I know I never learned in school.  If you want to learn more, there is a great article at www.historynet.com.

Submitted by Laura MacLeod, World Bird Sanctuary Education Coordinator