Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/realscience-what-these-pigeons-captured-with-their-cameras
New streaming platform: https://watchnebula.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/realscience
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniesammann
Credits:
Narrator: Stephanie Sammann
Writer: Lorraine Boissoneault
Editor: Dylan Hennessy (https://www.behance.net/dylanhennessy1)
Illustrator/Animator: Kirtan Patel (https://kpatart.com/illustrations)
Illustrator: Elfy Chiang (https://www.elfylandstudios.com)
Animator: Mike Ridolfi (https://www.moboxgraphics.com/)
Sound: Graham Haerther (https://haerther.net)
Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster (https://twitter.com/forgottentowel)
Producer: Brian McManus (https://www.youtube.com/c/realengineering)
Joke Suggester: Katie Sammann
Imagery courtesy of Getty Images
References:
[1] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/TACANA%20PROJECT%5B15687597%5D.pdf
[2] https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/199/1/21/7360/Pigeon-homing-observations-experiments-and
[3] https://www.rpra.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/national-pigeon-service.pdf
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_Columba
[5] https://cvhf.org.uk/history-hub/the-secret-pigeon-service-heroes-who-risked-all-for-the-birds-dropped-behind-enemy-lines-who-flew-home-with-vital-intelligence-and-left-the-nazis-flapping/
[6] https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Dickin-Medal/
[7] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0701575104
[8] https://www.jstor.org/stable/4084902
[9] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03077
[10] https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/209/15/2888/16178/Having-the-nerve-to-home-trigeminal
[11] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72525-2
[12] https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/216/4/687/11868/Atmospheric-propagation-modeling-indicates-homing