Our Doves are White Racing Homers also known as Rock Pigeons. Rock pigeons are the world's oldest domesticated bird with references to them in western Asian cuneiform tablets dating back more than 5,000 years. They are even referenced in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Pigeons were introduced to North America from Europe in the early 1600s.
Their natural instinct to "find home" combined with extensive training gives them what they need to make it safely back to their comfortable loft in the Williamsburg, Virginia area. Indeed, they are capable of flying hundreds of miles though a typical release event is within 20 miles of Colonial Williamsburg. Our birds have flown from as far east as Virginia Beach (48 miles) and from as far west as Orange, Virginia (90 miles). I am often asked how pigeons manage to find their home. Trained domestic pigeons are able to return to their home loft even if released at a location that they have never visited. This ability a pigeon has to return home from a strange location necessitates two sorts of information. The first, called "map sense" is their geographic location. The second, "compass sense" is the bearing they need to fly from their new location in order to reach their home. Both of these senses, however, respond to a number of different cues in different situations. The most popular conception of how pigeons are able to do this is that they are able to sense the Earth's magnetic field with tiny magnetic tissues in their head. Another theory is that pigeons have compass sense, which uses the position of the sun, along with an internal clock, to work out direction. Other possible cues which may aid their navigation include visual landmarks and olfactory stimuli (smell).
Before the advent of radio, carrier pigeons were frequently used on the battlefield as a means for a mobile force to communicate with a stationary headquarters. In the 6th century BC, Cyrus, king of Persia, used carrier pigeons to communicate with various parts of his empire. In Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar used pigeons to send messages. Due to their homing ability, speed and altitude, they were often used as military messengers in World War I and World War II.
Many religious groups, including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, feed pigeons for religious reasons. In the Christian religion the pigeon, referred to as a Dove, is a symbol of peace, the Holy Spirit and hope. In Genesis 8:11, a dove was released by Noah after the great flood in order to find land; it came back carrying an olive leaf, a sign of life and of God's bringing Noah and his family to land. References in Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22 compare the Holy Spirit to a dove at the Baptism of Jesus.
Male and female pigeons share mutual feelings. They often show faithfulness to a single mate and are monogamous as well. In cases where they are separated by distance, they still remain faithful to each other. This helps us see them as a symbol for a happy marriage.
And anyone watching a release can't help but feel they have a spirit they are carrying into the far away skies in the most beautiful of ways.
Click here to see a photo sampling of our Colonial Doves at various stages of life.