So I've been reading a lot of ASOIF (the show A game of thrones is based off), and the fastest method of communication in the series is to send out a bird, more specifically a crow, with a letter tied to it's leg.
In european history is there any record of using birds to communicate from city to city? What kinds of birds were used? how were they trained to remember different locations, and how did they know which to bring the letter to?
The answer is that they only fly to one location.
The birds that are used are called "Homing Pigeons" because they have an ability to return home to their nest. When they get to their nest, you grab the message.
They do not have an outbound capability. The birds have to be carried out on the outbound trip each time.
Hi! There's always room for more information, but you can get started on this section of the FAQ - scroll down to the subsection on carrier pigeons