carrier pigeon
Winged mail service
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon trained to carry messages over long distances, historically used for military and commercial communication before telecommunications.
The bird returns to its home loft, so messages travel one direction per bird.
The term now appears mostly in historical contexts or figuratively for any message-bearer: I'm not your carrier pigeon—tell her yourself.
Common gray urban pigeon
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- wingsLimbs for flight
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
cooing · roost · perch · flock · aviary · loft · squab · breeding
Send with speed
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- messageTransmitted communication
- letterWritten symbol or message
- noteShort written record
communique · intelligence · news · bulletin · capsule · canister · cipher · coded message
Innate ability to return
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- navigationDetermining position and course
- spatial memoryRecollection of layouts and positions
- landmarksDistinctive, recognizable locations
celestial navigation · release point · displacement · pathfinding · training flight
Military-themed toy soldier
- military serviceDuty in armed forces
- WWIFirst global conflict
- WWII1939-45 global conflict
- ReutersLondon-based wire service
One who manages something
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- breeding programManaged reproduction for traits
- tossingLight underhand throw
- motivationImpetus toward a goal
rock dove
Common gray urban pigeon
beak · cooing · roost · perch · flock · aviary · loft · squab · breeding · band
dispatch
Send with speed
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- messageTransmitted communication
- letterWritten symbol or message
note · communique · intelligence · news · bulletin · capsule · canister · cipher · coded message · delivery
homing instinct
Innate ability to return
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- navigationDetermining position and course
- spatial memoryRecollection of layouts and positions
landmarks · celestial navigation · release point · displacement · pathfinding · training flight
G.I. Joe
Military-themed toy soldier
- military serviceDuty in armed forces
- WWIFirst global conflict
- WWII1939-45 global conflict
handler
One who manages something
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- breeding programManaged reproduction for traits
- tossingLight underhand throw
- ancient communicationsmoke signal, hieroglyphs, pictographs, pictograms, courier
- communication methodsphone line, radio, telephone, television, text
- domestic birdschicken, hen, rooster, goose, duck
- messengersmessenger, courier, couriers, herald, heralds
- Pre-electric technologywaterwheel, water wheel, windlass, pulley, plow
- working animalsherding, gun dog, guarding, pulling, hunting dog
carrier pigeoninstant messaging
Live online text communication
email · text message · satellite communication · electronic mail · digital communication
carrier pigeoncertified mail
Tracked, receipt-confirmed postage
carrier pigeondirect speech
Exact quoted utterance
telepathy · live broadcast · voice call · shouting · hand signal
carry, pigeon, carrier, carrying, carried, carriage, carrion, carries, carrier pigeons