However, did you wonder how do homing pigeons navigate? Here are some interesting insights into how these birds manage to find their way to their homes, and how you can use them to reach your destination as well. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church used pigeons to communicate with church officials hundreds of miles away. The ancient Greeks passed messages from ship to ship by lofting pigeons from one to another. For example, homing pigeons were used for centuries for communication as well as navigation. Many people might find the idea of homing pigeons alarming or strange they are, after all, associated with wartime espionage, but there are other explanations for their behavior beyond the political. Through studying these diverse navigational aids humans have learned how to harness them for human uses. These birds rely on a number of different tools to reach their destination, including the sun, magnetic fields, and landmarks. Homing pigeons are capable of navigating long distances without any assistance, which is no mean feat.