Transcript: The Pigeon Express

The amazing abilities of homing pigeons remain a mystery. Scientists believe they possess a solar compass in combination with geomagnetic sensors. They may even use scent to navigate.

Costlow – There’s considerable controversy on how pigeons actually home. There’s something about the bird that allows them to detect the magnetic fields of the earth. There’s obviously other cues they also use.

Dave Costlow knows what he’s talking about. He’s employing pigeons everyday in his rafting company, Rocky Mountain Adventures, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

As rafters ride down the Cache le Poudre River, Megan Apfel shoots the action for Rocky Mountain Adventures. This gives customers a way to relive their run through the rapids.

Now to get the film back for processing in time for the rafters to see their photos. It’s twenty-five miles back to town over twisting mountain roads, and Megan must get set for the next rafters already heading downstream.

The answer? Pigeon film couriers.

Megan loads a roll of film into a stretchy Lycra backpack and the pigeon is up and away.

Costlow calls it the Pigeon Express, and to carry his cargo, he uses birds specially bred for homing. But even the best required initial coaching.

Training flights began at the end of the day, taking advantage of the birds’ instincts to roost. Short flights were increased fifty yards at a time as the birds progressed.

Costlow -- When they were able to fly faster than we could drive home, we added more mileage until they were flying distances we wanted them to quite successfully.