What birds is this Russian startup using to create biological drones?

Next time you see a pigeon flying overhead, double-check that it isn’t wearing some elaborate headgear, because if it is it could be that it’s being used as a drone. The Russian startup Neiry has developed neural implants that can be administered to pigeons to control where they fly.

The company has created these biological drones by inserting tiny electrodes through the pigeons’ skulls and connecting them to a stimulator the birds wear on their heads. The company claims that the surgery poses a low risk to the pigeons’ survivability, and they are able to fly soon after the procedure is complete. The technology works by delivering “mild stimulation” to parts of the pigeon’s brain that prompt it to take a certain flight path. When they aren’t being stimulated, the birds behave naturally.

Neiry says that when the pigeons aren’t carrying out test flights, they maintain their normal routines and are cared for by company operators. The company said it consults in-house bioethicists, though it has not provided any independent bioethics reviews from third-party sources.