It finds its way home
Released hundreds of miles away, it flies straight back to its loft. It uses the sun, the Earth's magnetism and landmarks.
Garden and aviary · A lot of time and space
Racing pigeon
Tamed from the rock dove
A sleek, blue-grey pigeon with two dark bars on each wing, a shimmer of green and purple on its neck and orange eyes.
- Size
- About 33cm long
- Lives for
- 10 to 15 years
- Suits
- Enthusiasts with a loft and time every day
Walks after you, head bobbing, and flies when you are far. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the pigeon
Sixty miles an hour
A racing pigeon can keep up sixty miles an hour for hours on end.
War heroes
Thirty-two pigeons have been awarded the animals' medal for bravery, for carrying messages that saved lives.
Kept for five thousand years
The pigeon was among the first birds people ever tamed.
Pigeon milk
Both parents feed their chicks on a rich milk made in the throat.
A ring on its leg
Every racing pigeon wears a numbered ring that shows who owns it.
The real thing
Photos of the pigeon
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
Looking after one
Pigeons live in a loft, fly out for exercise once or twice a day and come home to be fed. They need clean, dry housing, grain and grit.
Before you get one
Keeping pigeons is a hobby with clubs, races and a lot to learn. A local club is the place to start.
Keep going