Last April, we had an unexpected Speed Racer show up in our yard.

We could see that the pigeon had a yellow band on one leg and a blue one on the other.

We also noticed how tame the bird was. It walked right up to us without any fear.

I called the local animal rescue organization, and they said they don’t deal with pigeons, aka Rock Pigeons, Columba livia. They referred me to the local Central Oregon Racing Pigeon Club. When I sent them photos, they determined it belonged to one of their members.

They instructed me to keep it in a safe place until they could drive to our house to pick it up. The guy asked, more than once, if it was able to escape since they’d had other calls where the bird got away before they arrived. I reassured him that the bird could not escape.

Racing Pigeons

After he picked up the Speed Racer pigeon, I did a little research on racing pigeons. According to the America Racing Pigeon Union, there are more than 700 affiliated clubs around the country. They recommend this hobby to people who enjoy working with animals and appreciate their athleticism. The races their members participate in range from 100 to 600 miles in distance.

Pigeon racing is popular throughout the world. These birds were domesticated thousands of years ago, and the sport of pigeon racing began in the 19th century. Participants in this sport take it very seriously and are willing to pay high prices for the birds. The highest price paid was 1.9 million dollars. The higher priced birds often originate from Belgium.

Because of their high value, racing pigeons are often stolen. One well-known breeder in Belgium, Frans Bungeneers, had 60 birds stolen from his property in 2017. Some of these heists read like a fictional thriller. Today’s breeders rely on cameras, sensors, and alarms to protect their Speed Racer birds.

Birds of the Week

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