How did carrier pigeons/birds know what destination to fly to?

I know that carrier pigeons were trained to carry messages only one way by placing food at their home and at one location. Were the pigeons ever trained to fly to multiple destinations? If so, how did they know which destination they were expected to take the message to?





Thanks!|||A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon, it is called carrier pigeons because they are used to carry a message from one place to another. Carrier pigeons were used by the U.S. military during World War I, World War II and the Korean War.


While no one knows for absolute certainty how homing pigeons are able to find their home, there are several very good possible reasons, but more than likely there is a combination of things that homing pigeons use in helping them navigate. Homing pigeons are born with an innate ability to fly home. They also receive expert training. It is believed that several other factors are used by the pigeons to find their way home, including the earth's magnetic fields that they use for orientation.


The mineral magnetite has been found in the beaks of pigeons and some scientists say that this mineral is used as a type of bird compass. Other animals are also thought to navigate using magnetite especially whales, sharks, tuna, trout, and sea turtles.


Pigeons are also extraordinarily sensitive to low frequency sounds, which travel very long distances. Some researchers think these low frequency sounds are among the tools that homing pigeons use. Some believe that homing pigeons take advantage of landmarks, positions of the sun and stars, and even following roads. Others feel that the nature migratory instincts of birds play a role. And some think that the bird's sense of smell is a factor.


However, not all homing pigeons ever return to their loft when set free from long distances. Again, reasons may vary including: interference from cell phone towers, different magnetic fields of the earth, storms, sunspots interfering with the magnetic fields of the earth, the bird may become sick or injured and die, and who knows, maybe the pigeon found a better mate along the way and decided to stay with them.|||It's all in the beak (plus the earth's magnetic field with an assist from the sun during the day). They are homing pigeons and can only find their way home.|||They would only fly home and had to be transported to where the message was to be sent from.