I draw your attention to a recent paper by Jon Hagstrum on the possible role of infrasound in homing pigeon navigation, which appeared recently in the Journal of Experimental Biology. This story was reported in many articles in the popular press, for instance, BBC News.
This story has many Cornell connections. Hagstrum graduated from Cornell as a geology major in 1976. He was inspired to consider geophysical influences on homing by a talk given by Professor William T. Keeton of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (in whose honor the Keeton House was named). From 1967 until 1980, Keeton ran the largest and most prestigious research center in the world for exploring pigeon navigation.
The fact that pigeons can detect infrasound was established at Cornell by the late Melvin Kreithen, Ph.D. ’75, and Douglas Quine, Ph.D. ’79, who was a doctoral student of Keeton's and who made infrasound detection the topic of his dissertation.
After Keeton died unexpectedly in 1980 (while hosting the end of season party for his research group), Professor Steve Emlen obtained a grant to transfer all Keeton's orientation data to a computer database. This database supplied all of the orientation data for Hagstrum's paper. This in itself is rather astounding. After 30-plus years, Keeton's research data has taken on new life fostering the formation of new hypotheses about orientation.
After Keeton's death, pigeon orientation research at Cornell was continued for several years by Professor Charles Walcott.
I worked for Keeton during the 1970s and was one of several people involved in creating the database. For many years, the data were available as a text file. In 2006, I wrote a Macintosh program to serve as a front end to the database, and it was this program that Hagstrum used when doing his analysis.
All in all, this is a wonderful Cornell story and a testimony to legacy of Bill Keeton, a world-class scientist and a great teacher, who revolutionized the teaching of biology through his course Bio 101 and textbook, "Biology," which according to Wikipedia, "was one of the first that integrated zoology and botany and sought common themes, guided by the process of evolution."
— Tim Larkin ’71, MFA ’78, M.A. ’83; IT support, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Hello. We received the two boxes today with the four Hansenne pigeons. Arrived in excellent condition.
She is SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! Thank you guys for looking out for me. Can’t say enough about how much I love the bird and birds you have sent me.
Thank you so much, i got the bird! He's so beautiful, pin tail apple body, nice wing :)
Hello there, My name is Mike and live in Az, I had racing pigeons when I was young and now Im not young haha 61, Semi retired and determined to move to a place where I can fly birds again, want to get my grandkids involved. Anyway as a kid I flew some Sions and really enjoyed your website. When Im ready would love to get a few Sions again and see how they do. Any advice for an old newbie? lol
Hey Donnie, Saw your Birds on Ipigeon and must say, those are some Beautiful Heitzmans. They are very true to what I called the real thing. Beautiful Hansennes as well. Take Care, Chuck
Hi
I have placed the pigeon recieved from you recently in a priority express shipment back to you in same box recieved. Bird was beautiful and healthy but we realized it’s nature is such that it needs to fly and be a racing pigeon. We can’t offer that life to it and realize it was a mistake to try this based on our situation
Bird has had not been outside and has been confined indoors in isolation since recieved.
Please give it the home it deserves.
Appreciate the care you took getting it to us!!!
Need some color on my team. Had some sion couple years ago when i had a partner who sick and could not care for his own birds. He liked sions so i bought some from you on pigeonauction.com. We alot of fun his sions against my team .He has since past on. His family called me and thanked me for letting fly with me he really looked forward race day. HE WON EVERY WEEK
Path: https://www.clayhavenfarms.com/pigeons/for-sale
Thank you guys so much for allowing me the opportunity to love these birds.
Thanks again for the most beautiful Pure Paul Sions pigeons ever!! The loft is full of happy sounds from the birds strutting around in their new home. Y’all were so easy to work thru my problems of birds I chose.
Thanks a million times over Pam and Donnie. Your friend Jimi
Good evening
What a surprised New Year’s gift from you guys
I received the very nice young pure white hansennes hen this pm.
I was not aware that you sent her already/
Thanks for sending 12046
I really like her.
Please keep me posted when you have bastins availabe
Wishing you a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Thanks so much
I received the birds this morning.
As I expected, they are all very pretty and healthy.
I need a nice sion cock to pair up with my almost white hen.
I believed, I inquired a white splash white sion cock,
Not sure if he is still available, trying to breed out pure white sions
From your loft.
The Hansenne cock, very handsome, pls keep me posted for a solid
White hen. The hen very beautiful, can’t
Wait what they will yield.
Thanks so much
I’m super stoked for new birds!. Second new loft in Austin Texas. I’m really looking for 4 to 5 pair.
