racing pigeon
Speedy messenger bird
A racing pigeon is a domestic pigeon bred and trained for competitive long-distance flying.
Birds are transported far from their home loft and released; the fastest to return wins.
The sport relies on pigeons' remarkable homing instinct.
Racing pigeons descend from the same stock as carrier pigeons but are bred for speed rather than message-carrying.
- homingSteering toward a target
- homing instinctInnate ability to return
- loftSpace beneath the roof
- coopPoultry enclosure
- fancierEnthusiast or breeder
flight · wing · feather · banding · clock · release · release point · training · breeding · homer · tippler · tumbler · carrier · cote · dovecote · sprint · long distance · endurance
- domestic birdschicken, hen, rooster, goose, duck
- working animalsherding, gun dog, guarding, pulling, hunting dog
- racing animalsgreyhound, thoroughbred, racehorse, standardbred, trotter
- carrier pigeonsleg band, dovecote, homing instinct
- pigeonsrock dove, homer, carrier, squabs, fantail
- sport animalsracehorse, greyhound, polo pony, sled dog, show dog
domestication/wildness
racing pigeonferal pigeon
Undomesticated urban dove
rock dove · wood pigeon · mourning dove · street pigeon · wild bird