Trained homing pigeons can find their way home from 20 kilometers away with remarkable consistency — but the time of day affects how quickly they arrive. You release five pigeons from a point 20 kilometers away and time how long each one takes to return, with an assistant waiting at the nest with a stopwatch and a cell phone. The release runs twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, over two days to check for consistency. The pigeons returned home faster during afternoon flights on both days, suggesting that navigation speed shifts throughout the day.