Mass Navigational Instincts
(Internet Published) Oct 2000
Some aspects of mass navigational instincts. Several species of birds
migrate to England from Africa, in order to breed and then return to Africa.
They do this instinctively and in a great mass. The casualties are those
that become detached from the main body and fail to navigate as individuals.
The movement of herd animals is always in mass and the stragglers are
generally taken by predators.
Racing pigeons are released at race points and assemble as a mob, then to
navigate towards home. Any individuals that become detached from the main
body too soon will probably fail to reach home again. It would be a very
brave and foolish man who would risk the solo release of his best bird at
any great distance.
My main dread is a split kit - especially at high altitude. While ever a kit
of pigeons is flying as a compact kit, I can relax, but when the kit is
split by the appearance of a Falcon or Sparrow Hawk, I worry. The appearance
of such birds of prey does not always involve an attack but the very
appearance is quite enough to cause the kit to split and bolt right out of
the area. In a very few minutes such panic stricken individuals can be 10
miles away and over territory that they have never seen before. Such pigeons
are on their own and far away for probably the first time in their lives. If
it runs out of daylight then they are probably doomed and may never survive
the night with it's many perils.
September, 2000 - I lost a 7 year old hen which had more than 3,000 hours
experience of kit flying. At pinhead size, my kit encountered either a Hawk
or a Falcon - No attack was seen but the kit split and scattered all over
the sky. Eventually the kit re-assembled and dropped with no trouble, but on
checking in, my old hen was missing never to be seen again. All other 54
pigeons were safe. In spite of all her imprinting and impeccable record, she
just could not stand the stress of individual navigation before nightfall,
in this case 4 hours. The next day was foggy with rain. She had about as
much chance as a snowflake in July.
The very, very few losses that I ever had were all due to the high altitude
split syndrome.