Transmitter Loads Affect the Flight Speed and Metabolism of Homing Pigeons

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Abstract
Eight homing pigeons (Columbia livia) were flown distances of 90 and 320 km with and without transmitters (weighing either 2.5% or 5.0% of the pigeon''s body mass, MB) mounted on a back harness. Flight times in April through June for the 90-km distance were 60 min without a transmitter or harness, 69 min with a harness alone and about 76 min with a harness and transmitter (weighing either 2.5% or 5.0% of MB). Flight times for the 320-km distances were 4 hr 16 min for the controls and 5 hr 35 min for the two fastest pigeons wearing a harness and transmitter weighing 2.5% of MB. The results show that on 90-km flights harnesses alone slow birds by 15% and harness and transmitters (.ltoreq.%MB) slow birds 25 to 28%; on 320-km flights harness and transmitters slow birds >31%. Moreover, on the 320-km flights, CO2 production of the pigeons (measured with the doubly-labeled water method) was 41 to 52% higher per hour when encumbered with a transmitter and harness. Thus, encumbered pigeons produced 85 to 100% more total CO2 covering the 320-km distance. Therefore, high performance homing pigeons work substantially harder and longer during a long distance flight when wearing harnesses and transmitter.

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