They told him: Don't go to Jersey Hill. You'll lose your birds.
February 7, 2013 6:51 AM Subscribe
The case of the disappearing homing pigeons. Between 1968 and 1987, about 900 homing pigeons released at the Jersey Hill fire tower in upstate New York got lost, never to be seen again. Why couldn't they find their way home?
Why couldn't they find their way home?
Because pigeons are delicious?
posted by IvoShandor at 7:02 AM on February 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Because pigeons are delicious?
posted by IvoShandor at 7:02 AM on February 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's called Jersey Hill, but it's in Upstate New York. Birds, after all, define "bird brained", so they read a map, and decided they must have to go to New Jersey to find Jersey Hill.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, someone uttered "Where did all these f***ing pigeons come from?" The pigeons found spilled popcorn on the boardwalk, and were happy. The cats under the boardwalk were happier.
posted by eriko at 7:09 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, someone uttered "Where did all these f***ing pigeons come from?" The pigeons found spilled popcorn on the boardwalk, and were happy. The cats under the boardwalk were happier.
posted by eriko at 7:09 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
There have been a number of theories over the years but it was only in October 17, 2012 that Jon Hagstrum published a paper suggesting it is ultrasound. More info and the abstract.
posted by stbalbach at 7:14 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by stbalbach at 7:14 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
Nah, they ended up on Jersey Hill Road, just outside of Ithaca.
posted by mareli at 7:16 AM on February 7, 2013
posted by mareli at 7:16 AM on February 7, 2013
and decided they must have to go to New Jersey to find Jersey Hill.
Except that the state called New Jersey is actually the state of New Jersey and a little spilled popcorn could never have been bait enough.
I'm gonna go with the Bermuda Triangle.
posted by three blind mice at 7:18 AM on February 7, 2013
Except that the state called New Jersey is actually the state of New Jersey and a little spilled popcorn could never have been bait enough.
I'm gonna go with the Bermuda Triangle.
posted by three blind mice at 7:18 AM on February 7, 2013
This is a lot more interesting than my first thought, which was a colony of extremely happy eagles.
posted by figurant at 7:18 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by figurant at 7:18 AM on February 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
Picked off by hawks.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:37 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:37 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty skeptical of the ocean sounds explanation.
1) It says they can hear down to .5 Hz but that the infrasound is "every 6 seconds", i.e. around .17 Hz. Maybe some Super Pigeons can hear down that level, but if they are relying on it then surely they'd be more closely matched.
2) Pigeons live other places than near oceans and I've never heard of pigeons not working in, say, Iowa.
I'd also like to see some evidence of infrasound recordings taken at Jersey Hill (with and without temperature inversions) rather than reliance on a model.
posted by DU at 7:40 AM on February 7, 2013
1) It says they can hear down to .5 Hz but that the infrasound is "every 6 seconds", i.e. around .17 Hz. Maybe some Super Pigeons can hear down that level, but if they are relying on it then surely they'd be more closely matched.
2) Pigeons live other places than near oceans and I've never heard of pigeons not working in, say, Iowa.
I'd also like to see some evidence of infrasound recordings taken at Jersey Hill (with and without temperature inversions) rather than reliance on a model.
posted by DU at 7:40 AM on February 7, 2013
If I read it correctly DU, the article said they can hear down to 0.05 Hz, not 0.5.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:44 AM on February 7, 2013
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:44 AM on February 7, 2013
I've never heard of pigeons not working in, say, Iowa.
That's because they're down home, corn fed, hard working real American pigeons in Iowa, not those liberal northeastern socialist loving "pigeons" up in New York. Also, CLINTON.
posted by eriko at 7:48 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
That's because they're down home, corn fed, hard working real American pigeons in Iowa, not those liberal northeastern socialist loving "pigeons" up in New York. Also, CLINTON.
posted by eriko at 7:48 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yessir, in Iowa, we call 'em Rock Doves.
posted by boo_radley at 8:02 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by boo_radley at 8:02 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah, missed a zero. Still, I think the lack of oceans in Iowa may be a problem for this theory.
posted by DU at 8:23 AM on February 7, 2013
posted by DU at 8:23 AM on February 7, 2013
Oh yeah, missed a zero. Still, I think the lack of oceans in Iowa may be a problem for this theory.
They're claiming that the infrasounds travel thousands of miles, not just locally.
posted by yoink at 9:22 AM on February 7, 2013
They're claiming that the infrasounds travel thousands of miles, not just locally.
posted by yoink at 9:22 AM on February 7, 2013
eriko: "not those liberal northeastern socialist loving "pigeons" up in New York"
You forgot latte-sipping.
posted by brundlefly at 9:32 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
You forgot latte-sipping.
posted by brundlefly at 9:32 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
The word on the powerline is that Jersey Hill is a nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there.
posted by srboisvert at 9:43 AM on February 7, 2013
posted by srboisvert at 9:43 AM on February 7, 2013
yoink: " They're claiming that the infrasounds travel thousands of miles, not just locally."
That has been known for a while, hasn't it? A whole host of mammals communicate with or signal each other through infrasound, across many hundreds of miles.
posted by zarq at 9:47 AM on February 7, 2013
That has been known for a while, hasn't it? A whole host of mammals communicate with or signal each other through infrasound, across many hundreds of miles.
posted by zarq at 9:47 AM on February 7, 2013
Shadow zone, eh? How do I make one of those in my neighborhood?
posted by orme at 11:44 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by orme at 11:44 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Re: pigeons in Iowa, from the article: "infrasounds can travel thousands of miles in the atmosphere."
posted by stbalbach at 7:12 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by stbalbach at 7:12 PM on February 7, 2013
This is very cool; thank you for posting it.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:03 PM on February 7, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:03 PM on February 7, 2013
Where are you sitting that you can see dragons?!
Probably somewhere near this guy.
posted by scalefree at 9:25 AM on February 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Probably somewhere near this guy.
posted by scalefree at 9:25 AM on February 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
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