Racing pigeons have a powerful instinct to return to their home. Racer pigeons use not only their sight and smell to navigate, but they also utilize an orientation with the magnetic fields of the earth. Racer pigeons use the earth’s magnetic flow, the angle of the sun, start patterns and polarized light to help direct them home.
Breeding these animals is a relatively short process, and most racer pigeons can be bred to race within two years. It’s necessary to start breeding these pigeons when they’re babies. If an owner tries to release adult homing pigeons in order to train them, the pigeons will simply leave their new owner and return to their previous home. Baby pigeons must be kept in a confined space for up to eight days days in order to acclimate them to their new home and environment. For the following two months, the pigeons must be kept indoors in their new home. After this length of time, the pigeons can be allowed outside to explore the terrain without worrying that they’ll fly away.
In order to train the pigeons to race home, they must first be driven a few miles away from their home, preferably on a clear morning. The owner will release the birds in an open, un-wooden area, repeating this process for six days in a row. Every week, the distance will be increased a bit. The pigeons must be given breaks between training lessons, such as one day off at the end of the week.
Racer pigeons are often thought of as athletes of the bird world, due to their careful breeding, unique skills, speed, strength and endurance. Racing pigeons are trained to fly long distances as quickly as possible. They’re prized depending on both how long a distance they travel and how quickly they can travel this distance. The quickest bird who travels the longest distance will win a high amount of prize money for the owner and breeder.
Racer pigeons aren’t foolproof. They sometimes lose their way. There are many factors that can contribute to a racer pigeon getting off track. Inclement weather and changes in a geomagnetic field can disorient a racer pigeon. Pigeons that are dehydrated or exhausted may also have difficulty navigating. Also, pigeons that are born with, or develop, poor olfactory senses may not be able to find their way home.