Page 33 - NT Birds of a Feather

As their name suggests, wood pigeons like to make their nests in woodlands and forests. However, they have adapted to life around humans and now also live in cities and towns.
Although today people often see pigeons as pests, they are intelligent birds who have played an important role in history. They have an incredible ability to travel far away and find their way home again, and humans have even trained a tame type of pigeon, called a carrier pigeon, to carry urgent messages.
During the First and Second World Wars, carrier pigeons travelled across enemy lines and over trenches, with coded papers attached to their legs. When they landed, a bell would sound so that soldiers would know to read the message immediately. Countries including France, Switzerland, Great Briton and the USA used pigeons this way, resulting in many lives saved.