The Pigeon is Man kinds oldest feathered friend!
This bird and his/her unique ability to "Home", has been used to help mankind before any forms of communication was available.
This bird has saved many human lives through out mankind's history and this information has been documented.
These birds are being mass poisoned, shunned by mankind, flying rats they are called, we honor our human hero's but mass poison our Feathered hero's.
The Racing Pigeon Industry claims to love these birds but yet Culling unwanted birds is a norm within the sport, this sport also contributes to the feral populations and thus forth contributes to the horrors done unto the bird of peace.
This has all been documented, its all right here for you to read.
From the Killer poison "avitrol", to little jimmy that recently got a new BB gun, the horrors are right here for all to see and try and understand.
Major cities mass poison the bird of peace, you can find that information right here in the Dove & Pigeon forum.
These birds are starved, netted, exploited by the racing Pigeon world.
These birds have fallen from grace in the last 50 years, they used to be honored, now seems (stupid) statements made by people in the (lime light) such as ( Woody Allen) in the movie (stardust memories) where he called the Pigeon a "flying rat" have stuck in the publics image, City officials and there (stupid) statements have also contributed to the demise of the bird of peace.
Again, you can find that information posted here in the forum.
So grab a cup of coffee and a sack of wild bird seed and find a feral flock near you, almost every major city has wild Pigeons in there parks, find a park bench and sit down and feed the Pigeons, you will be surprised at how many Banded Pigeons are among the ferals, these are lost former racing pigeons that were lost during training or during a race, and yes, now they are your problem, there numbers are now your concern.
You can thank the Racing Pigeon Industry.
I find information already posted, newspaper articles, as a Rescuer I can say (for fact), most of the birds I rescue are Racing Pigeons, there are websites that are dedicated to helping the Racing Pigeon get back home, one can look at these sites in two ways.
One is a bunch of kind considerate people helping these birds.
Two is the amount of lost Racing Pigeons that find there way to the site for help and I can say (factually) the numbers reported are a mere fraction of how many are out there lost in the wild, they have joined up with a feral flock and contributing to there numbers.
In my years I have learned, "Folks don't hate the Pigeon", They dislike there numbers and the messes left behind from such great numbers.
And lets not forget the Pest Control Companies and the lies they tell about the bird of peace to keep the almighty dollar coming in.
These are all (facts) and they are posted here in the forum.
You can help the bird of peace regain there dignity, a starting point is to understand what and why these birds suffer so.
Its all right here, and if you need more help, please call upon me.
Sincerely.
Arty aka BrokenWing

Arty,

You're right. Probably for every two or three racing pigeons which finish the race there may be a dozen which go astray, get devoured, or fall into mishap.

When I first got pigeons, I thought it might be fun to let them fly free; and I did so for a while. But then I also had to go pick up a half starved bird of mine which had languished for ten days two blocks away; fortunately, she had a telephone ring.

They don't all home.

Then, my nutty alpha cock decided to sit on the roof of our four-storey apartment house to prevent all other pigeons from coming near. Since we then lived on top of a hillside, that made him easy picking for the migrating hawks.

Fortunately, I figured this out before the hawks started coming through and clipped his wings. By the time the wings grew back, he had dropped the idea of the roof and the hawks had eaten blackbirds, instead.

When we moved house we are no longer on a hill side; so I hesitated free flying them. Also, most of them were born at the old place and would go back there, if anywhere.

I was also weird that there were no wild pigeons on the roofs nearby; I wondered why. There were wildlings further up the street and beyond.

When we started feeding the doves, a few wild pigeons moved in and after a few months disappeared. I found out why. The top floor apartment dweller 'removes' the pigeons at night.

My pigeons are staying in.

Sarah

I find it very sad Sarah what happens to lost racing pigeons.
But I find it more upsetting knowing many of these birds are basket cullers.
There a need for strict regulations placed upon the Racing Pigeon industry, one such rule should be, One Pigeon entered per race per loft, enough of this being able to enter multiple birds.
These lost birds end up starving, joining a feral flock and contributing to the flocks numbers, and we all know what happens then, mass poisonings.
I Have been inside several Racing Pigeon lofts, I took in 20 some Pigeons that were deemed (no good) the guy was going to cull them, 3 months later he had 20 more to get rid of.
Its crazy, simply crazy, and a very familiar statement made within the sport is, "I lost several birds today during training, gee I hope they come back."
I ask, "where do you think your birds are?", they answer "probably joined up with the feral flock a few blocks away, that flock needs to be destroyed".
"So, you claim to love Pigeons, but support the killing of ferals".
In reality they support the killing of there own birds because to kill there own birds deemed unworthy is common place, and those that can't seem to get up enough nerve to snap the necks of the unwanted birds, enter the into a race hoping they don't return, "let the basket do the culling".
Then these birds become the general publics problem.
Most folks don't hate the Pigeon, they hate there numbers and there droppings and or the MESS.
Maybe by only being able to enter one bird per race per loft will end many horrors done unto these birds, currently its a "careless"mass breeding sport, with the hopes of a winner.
What once used to be a very "notable" sport is now being destroyed from within by the sports own members.
Why?
Because there are no rules to govern, then our own federal government seems to protect this sport and these birds.
Sooooo, in reality, our government is supporting this so called sport and the contributions the sport makes to the mass numbers of pigeons found in almost every major city.
I find this very disturbing.
And the Pigeon, well he/she continues to pay the ultimate price, they pay with there lives.
Again, from mass poisonings, The way people look upon the Pigeon, The pest control companies, and little Johnny who just got a new BB gun, you can read of the horrors done unto the bird of peace right here in the Dove & Pigeon forum.
Take Care
BrokenWing

When I first became interested in Pigeons (thank you Arty) I would type in Pigeon in the search engines and was appalled to find most of the sites where about how to get rid of Pigeons. Very few with important info about the bird itself.
There are many, many predators to the Pigeon...espesially the human.

What I find to be most disturbing is the Racing Pigeon Person (not all of them) fight for such control by our government, you will read on some Pigeon Racing sites "the government is going to impose strict regulations unto our sport, let all get together and make donations to fight this", here's the link.
American Racing Pigeon Union | Homing Pigeons | Sport Flyers
They want to fight such control to there mass breeding ways, there ability to keep the contributions to the feral populations happening, in general, they want the "KILLINGS" to continue.
You will not read, "Hey members we need to make adjustments within our sport".
The first step will be, "its a sport, not a get rich quick thing".
The race itself offers a small purse, its the betting behind the scenes that one will find the real money.
I once held a conversation with a person ( I won't mention anyones real name) but I will say this person is well known in the Pigeon Racing Sport, "she said, Arty my birds have made me a great deal of money".
We were talking about a recent Racer I had just rescued and how she has made a great deal of money on birds others have thrown away.
I told her on the phone, "I don't race Pigeons, I rescue them".
The Feral Pigeon is my passion, I also love the Racer, but make no mistake, I will protect the common Feral Pigeon until the day I die.
It never has and never will matter to me the "racing Pigeon" is a hybrid, I care not about such things, they all bleed the same, they all hurt the same, I love them all the same.
I stand for the FERAL, I will always protect this bird of peace very aggressively.
Arty

I fight for these birds, doing so means I search for information and post it here on the forum, I include links where I find such information, the information could be others opinions, others ads, others words already posted somewhere on the internet.
Companies that make poison used to mass kill, they already post the information somewhere on the web, they already make statements such as "our product does have flaws".
I post pictures and information found concerning "lost Racers".
Then threats are made to stop such postings, why?
Because they want the killings to continue....bottom line.
They want there ability to kill there own birds to continue.
They want there ability to enter multiple birds into races knowing only the "worthy" bird will make it back home, Basket culling.
They want there ability to contribute there birds into the feral population to continue, otherwise they would make changes to address this issue, such as "one bird entered per race, per loft".
ONE, not 6.
Pest control companies will defend there "right" to mass poison birds, its all about money.
Do you think the Racing Pigeon Industry is going to say "oh my lord, look how many birds entered don't make it back home", NO, why?, this helps them to control the number of birds in there loft, they want and need this to continue in a sport of no control.
And they will continue to make threats, "you need to stop talking bad about our sport", NO, I don't need to stop talking badly about your sport, you need to clean up your sport, and stop the uncontrollable mass breeding ways of your members.
You can start by inflicting one simple rule.
One Bird entered, Per loft, Per Race.
I am not the person destroying your image, your out of control ways by your members is what is destroying your image, and this began many years ago.
Stop fighting the government and the regulations that are to come your way, start making changes within your sport, do this before the government will do it for you.
And stop killing your birds then turn around and say "oh I love the Pigeon", frankly...this makes me sick.
End of story.