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Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and
science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
of breeding
domestic pigeon The domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia'' Form (zoology), forma ''domestica'') is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove, rock dove or rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated ...
s. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the
morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...
and the behaviour of the
domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...
descendants of the
rock dove The rock dove (''Columba livia''), also sometimes known as "rock pigeon" or "common pigeon", is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although the rock dov ...
to suit their needs for food, aesthetic satisfaction and entertainment. People who
breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
pigeons are commonly referred to as pigeon fanciers.Wendell (1977) 1 The hobby is gaining in popularity in the United States, after having waned within the last 50 years. Both the hobby and commercial aspects of keeping pigeons are thriving in other parts of the world.


Types of pigeons kept

The
rock dove The rock dove (''Columba livia''), also sometimes known as "rock pigeon" or "common pigeon", is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although the rock dov ...
, the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons, was
domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...
at least five thousand years ago, when it is first mentioned in historical records from
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
. There are hundreds of
breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
s of domesticated pigeons arising from this common ancestor which are currently cultivated by pigeon fanciers. Because of the large number of domesticated breeds, pigeon fanciers find it convenient for certain purposes to group sets of domesticated pigeons into larger groups. In the United States and United Kingdom, there are three major recognized groups of breeds of domesticated pigeons: * Flying/Sporting * Fancy * Utility Pigeon fanciers in other nations use different schemes in grouping domesticated pigeons; for example, a nationwide pigeon organization in Germany uses a far different grouping scheme. The Australian grouping system is similar to the UK/European groupings. For example, see: Major breed families of fancy pigeon.


Flying/Sporting pigeons

These pigeons are kept and bred for their aerial performance and for reproduction. Racing homers are a type of
homing pigeon The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practice ...
, trained to participate in the sport of pigeon racing, and have been used to carry messages during times of war. Such races often have large cash prizes of up to $1 million as the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race. Fanciers who fly racing pigeons sometimes win long-distance races and even break records. Other flying/sporting pigeons are bred for unique flying characteristics other than homing, such as rolling, high-flying, and diving. These birds, which may be flown in competitions, include but are not limited to Rollers, Tumblers, and Tipplers. A few varieties, for example, the Parlor Roller, are considered to be within the flying/sporting group even though they do not fly. This is because they compete on the basis of their performance and not their appearance. Competitors in pigeon sporting competitions such as pigeon races can win large sums of prize money when their pigeons return home the fastest from a race. The use of pigeons to carry messages is commonly called
pigeon post Pigeon post is the use of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons are effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons are transported to a destination in cages, where they are attached with messages, then the pigeo ...
. Pigeons can also carry small light-weight packages, and have been used to smuggle drugs into a prison.


Fancy pigeons

Fancy pigeons are pigeons which are specially bred to perpetuate particular features. Examples of fancy pigeons would include
Jacobins The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential List of polit ...
, Fantails and Pigmy Pouters. Their owners compete them against each other at exhibitions or pigeon shows and judges decide who has the best by comparing them to each other and their respective
breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include phenotype, physical or morphology (biology), morphological detail, genotype, g ...
. There are many breeds of fancy pigeons of all sizes, colors and types.


Utility pigeons

Utility pigeons are bred for their meat and as replacement breeding stock. The meat of pigeons is customarily referred to as
squab In culinary terminology, squab is an immature domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old, or its meat. Some authors describe it as tasting like dark chicken. The word "squab" probably comes from Scandinavia; the Swedish word means "loose ...
and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Examples of utility varieties include King pigeons, several different varieties of Mondaines and Carneau. * All of the above
pigeon breeds This is an alphabetical list of pigeon breeds; these are exclusively breeds of the domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''). Other List of Columbidae species, Columbidae species (e.g., the Barbary dove, ''Streptopelia risoria'') have been Dom ...
may also be exhibited in pigeon shows but true utility pigeons and flying/sporting pigeons are rarely exhibited. This is because true utility pigeons are bred for meat and true flying/sporting pigeons are bred for their aerial performance so that in both cases appearance is usually a very minor consideration.


Pigeon housing

Houses for pigeons are generally called lofts. Pigeon houses are also sometimes referred to as "coops" although the word seems to have originally applied to the breeding pens inside the housing. They are also referred to as pigeon duckets in North East England. There are as many different kinds of enclosures used to house pigeons in as there are pigeon fanciers. There are no real constraints on the design of housing for pigeons but there are some things that most fanciers find desirable. These pigeon houses often contain specially constructed openings to allow the pigeon keeper to give his animals liberty for purposes of exercise while allowing them to re-enter the house without special assistance from the keeper. At the same time these houses are constructed to keep the pigeons safe from predators and inclement weather and give them nesting places in which to raise their squabs.


Multiple pens

Many pigeon fanciers build their pigeon loft with at least two pens. This allows a few positive outcomes for the pigeon fancier: # They are able to separate their males from females in order to control breeding. # They are able to separate young, unmated pigeons from mated and settled pairs. This allows the mated and settled pairs to breed better. Most fanciers have at least two pens for their pigeons and often fanciers have more than two pens or possibly multiple pigeon lofts. Extra pens allow for the keeping of spare, unmated females and males which can be useful to replace existing pigeons which might perish from disease or predation. Because it can be difficult to determine the sex of a young pigeon it is also handy to have extra pens for pigeons that have been weaned but which have not given external indications of their sex yet.


Trap/landing board

For those pigeon fanciers that fly their pigeons (not all pigeon fanciers allow their pigeons to fly freely outside of their aviary) the pigeons need a means of ingress to the loft. A trap or at least bobs and landing board allows the pigeon to get back into their home when they are ready to do so. There are different variations of trap and bobs used. Racing pigeons are commonly trapped home using a bob wired trapping arrangement that the birds push against the bob wires to gain access, but are restricted by the wires when trying to get back outside. Another form of trap typically called a ''Sputnik trap'' (pictured) uses openings set on an angle which are just wide enough for one bird to gain access by dropping through into the loft.


Flypen

Sometimes pigeon fanciers cannot allow their birds complete liberty due to complaints of neighbors. However, pigeons have much better health and seem to be in much better spirits when they're given room to fly. So most fanciers, including those that let their birds fly, will build a large enclosed area free of obstacles where the pigeons can fly as freely as they wish. This is usually referred to as a flypen.


Nest boxes

Pigeon fanciers will often provide their mated pairs with nest boxes in which to build their nests. Because pigeons are quite territorial about their nesting area pigeons co-exist much more harmoniously when each mated pair has two nest boxes of its own.


Perches

Again, pigeon fanciers often provide their birds (both mated and unmated pigeons) with more perches than the birds need. Because pigeons are also quite territorial about their perch it is best to ensure that every pigeon in the loft has many places to perch. Pigeon fanciers often have their pigeon lofts in suitably modified garden sheds. In
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and other areas of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
there has been a tradition of pigeon keepers building their own freestanding urban pigeon lofts, or doocots, standing about 4m high in areas of waste ground close to housing estates. In New York City, pigeon fanciers often build pigeon lofts on the roof of the building. Image:Doocot in Greenock garden.jpg, Pigeon loft in a garden. Image:Glasgow doocot Firrhill 1.jpg,
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
doocot. Image:Glasgow doocot Firrhill 2.jpg, Entrance door.


Portrayal in the arts

There have been several portrayals of pigeon keeping and pigeon fanciers in the arts. One of the more famous portrayals of this hobby was in the film ''
On The Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning and Eva Marie Saint in her film de ...
'' where the main character, Terry Malloy, is a pigeon keeper. In the film '' Ghost Dog'', the title character is a
hitman Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
who communicates only using homing pigeons. There have been portrayals of pigeon keeping in other art forms as well. The artist Zina Saunders has painted portraits of New York pigeon keepers as part of her ''Overlooked New York'' project. Photographer Zak Waters shot a black and white project documenting the lives of pigeon fanciers in the UK called ''Birdmen''. Sydney-based photographer Ho Hai Tran recently debuted his work On Pigeons which chronicled more than a year spent with the Pigeon Fanciers Society of New South Wales in Australia. The work was also exhibited in early 2013 in a show entitled ''Fancy'' which showcased portraits of some of the most notable fancy breeds including the Pouter, Jacobin, King and Dragoon. In the musical The Producers, the deranged ex-Nazi named Franz Liebkind, who writes the fictitious play ''Springtime for Hitler'', is a pigeon fancier. The British visual and performance artist, Victoria Melody, investigated pigeon fanciers to create a 2009 exhibition, ''Demographics of a Pigeon Fancier'', and a 2012 theatre show, ''Northern Soul''. The projects were the result of months spent living with British pigeon fanciers during the racing season. On the U.S. television show ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
'', Detective
Bobby Simone Detective Robert "Bobby" Simone is a fictional character in the American television series ''NYPD Blue''. Played by Jimmy Smits for four seasons, Simone is known for his sensitivity and street smarts, as well as his friendship with his detective ...
raised pigeons. Several episodes featured Simone tending to his pigeons on the roof of his home. The novel '' Young Mungo''s character James is a Catholic Glaswegian boy who has built a dovecote behind his flat. There is some discussion of the Glaswegian community of pigeon fanciers and the competition between them.


Origins of commercial pigeon keeping

Since their initial domestication by people, pigeons have been seen as a cheap source of good meat. The Romans certainly kept pigeons for food as evidenced by the fact that they were familiar with the practice of force-feeding squabs in order to fatten the young pigeons faster. Pigeons were especially prized because they would produce fresh meat during the winter months when larger animals were unavailable as a food source. In the past wealthy landowners often had pigeon houses and kept pigeons. Strict laws were enacted to protect the inhabitants of these structures.


Improving yield

Ten pairs of pigeons can produce eight squabs each month without being fed especially by the pigeon keepers. For a greater yield, commercially raised squab may be produced in a two-nest system, where the mother lays two new eggs in a second nest while the squabs are still growing in the first nest, fed by their father. Establishing two breeding lines has also been suggested as a strategy, where one breeding line is selected for prolificacy and the other is selected for "parental performance".


Hazards

Keeping pigeons has been found to lead to a condition called pigeon fancier's lung in some fanciers. Pigeon fancier's lung is an extrinsic allergic reaction resembling asthma which occurs when a person has been exposed to certain proteins in the dust associated with a pigeon's feathers over long periods of time, usually several years. When a fancier develops this condition, there are several treatments which may help him or her to keep his or her pigeons. However, some cases are so severe that the fancier must avoid close contact with pigeons.


Famous fanciers

*
Al-Muzaffar Hajji Al-Muzaffar Sayf ad-Din Hajji ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun, better known as al-Muzaffar Hajji, (1331–December 1347) was the Bahri Mamluk sultan of Egypt. He was also the sixth son of an-Nasir Muhammad (d. 1341) to hold office, ruling from Septemb ...
(died 1347), Mamluk sultan of Egypt, who was well known for engaging in pigeon raising and racing, to the chagrin of his senior aides. *
Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre ferv ...
, French revolutionary, raised pigeons and sparrows in his youth. *
Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the rel ...
has enjoyed raising Birmingham Roller pigeons since he was a young boy. * Duncan Ferguson, former Everton player, enjoys the sport of pigeon racing. *
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
was a fourth generation member of the Royal Family who has enjoyed the sport of pigeon racing. The first racing pigeons at Sandringham were a gift to the future Edward VII by King
Leopold II of Belgium Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Leo ...
in 1886. * Karel Meulemans, a noted pigeon fancier in Arendonk,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. * Dušan Ivković, basketball player and coach, FIBA Hall of Famer, EuroLeague Basketball Legend * Franz Liebkind, the deranged ex-Nazi writer in the musical The Producers. * Paddy Ambrose (1928–2002), Irish international footballer was said to prefer pigeon racing to the sport that he became famous for. *
Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla (;"Tesla"
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
; 10 July 1856 – 7 ...
, famous inventor, fed the pigeons of New York City, nursing those who were sick or injured. Of the birds, he said, "These are my sincere friends." * Gerry Francis, English footballer, coach and commentator is a pigeon racing fancier. *
Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
, famous artist, kept fantails and named his daughter Paloma, which means pigeon in Spanish. *
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
, English naturalist, kept fancy pigeon breeds for observation and anatomical study of his test breeding. *
Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...
, actor, ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childr ...
'', owned Roller pigeons and was known to take a private helicopter to view aerial performance of his pigeons. *
Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...
, After retiring in 2005, Tyson had a massive pigeon coop constructed in the backyard of his Paradise Valley home for his 350 pigeons; and even appeared in one season of an Animal Planet series in 2011 that documented him competing in the sport of pigeon racing. *
Manuel Noriega Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno ( , ; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. He never officially serv ...
, deposed Panamanian dictator, had many palaces to house fancy pigeons. *
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, Queen of the United Kingdom who was fond of the Jacobin strain of fancy pigeons whose feathered "cowl" resembles the garments of Jacobin monks. *
Bill Lawry William Morris Lawry (born 11 February 1937) is an Australian former cricketer and commentator who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Test matches, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia ...
, former Australian cricketer and Channel Nine cricket commentator. Bill's love of pigeons has been parodied in the successful
The Twelfth Man The Twelfth Man (also known as The 12th Man) is the name for a series of comedy productions by Australian satirist Billy Birmingham. Birmingham, a skilled impersonator, is generally known for parodying Australian sports commentators' voices. A ...
comedy recordings. * Jonathan Buckley DUP member of the Northern Irish Assembly, representing the Upper Bann constituency. Jonathan comes from a family lineage of pigeon fanciers which dates back four generations.


See also

* List of pigeon breeds * Pigeon racing *
Dovecote A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or b ...


References


Bibliography

* Kociejowski, Marius ''The Pigeon Wars of Damascus'' iblioasis, 2010contains six chapters on the history of pigeon fancying in the Arab world *


External links


US National Pigeon Association

International Federation

UK National Pigeon Association
{{Authority control Domestic pigeons Livestock