Where does this come from, and can I check it?

They use the Sun, magnetic cues and familiar landmarks together. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Pigeons can find home from over 1,000 kilometres

They use the Sun, magnetic cues and familiar landmarks together Racing pigeons are released far from their loft and timed on return, with speeds regularly exceeding 90 kilometres an hour. Shifted clocks and magnets disturb their orientation in experiments, which suggests several senses are involved. The species was long used to carry messages. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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History trivia

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Tags: pigeons, navigation, history

Pigeons can find home from over 1,000 kilometres: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: They use the Sun, magnetic cues and familiar landmarks together. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.