Pigeon

Pigeon is a common name for birds in the family Columbidae, especially larger or domesticated species. Pigeons are stout-bodied birds with short necks and bills, and many navigate over long distances.

Columbidae: The bird family that includes pigeons and doves, found on every continent except Antarctica. Pigeons belong to this family, which also includes smaller species commonly called doves.
Magnetoreception: The ability of an organism to detect information from Earth’s magnetic field. Magnetic cues may contribute to pigeons’ orientation, alongside other navigation signals.
Rock dove: A wild pigeon species native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Domestic pigeons descend from this wild species.
Homing pigeon: A domestic pigeon bred or trained to return to its home loft from unfamiliar locations. Homing pigeons carried messages before reliable electronic communication.
B. F. Skinner: An American psychologist known for developing experimental behavior analysis and operant conditioning. Skinner used pigeons in experiments on learning and behavior.
Bird: A warm-blooded vertebrate with feathers, a beak, and forelimbs adapted as wings. Pigeons share the defining anatomy and biology of birds.
Animal navigation: The processes animals use to determine their position and travel toward a destination. Pigeon homing is a well-studied example of navigation over long distances.
Pigeon domestication: The process by which humans bred and kept pigeons from wild rock doves. Domestication produced the many domestic forms and uses associated with pigeons.
Pigeon post: A communication system that uses trained pigeons to carry written messages to a home location. Pigeons’ homing ability made them practical message carriers.
Operant conditioning: A learning process in which behavior changes through its consequences, such as rewards or punishments. Pigeon experiments helped establish influential methods for studying this process.

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