Homing pigeon

The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon derived from the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) selectively bred to find its way home over extremely long distances.The wild rock pigeon has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally return to its nest and mate. This made it relatively easy to breed from the birds that repeatedly found their way home over long distances. Flights as long as 1,800 km (1,100 mi) have been recorded by birds in competitive pigeon racing. Their average flying speed over moderate distances (about 800 km [500 mi]) is around 80 km/h (50 mph),[citation needed] but speeds of up to 58.7 mph (94.5 km/h) have been observed in top racers for short distances (160 km [99 mi]). Homing pigeons are called messenger or carrier pigeons when they are used to carry messages.