Homing pigeons have been used for communication for centuries. References date back to ancient China and Greece. They played vital roles during the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic Wars, the Franco-Prussian War, and both World Wars, delivering urgent military messages when other communication failed.
Even after modern technology reduced their use, homing pigeons were famously employed during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. Today, pigeon racing remains a popular sport worldwide.