"The good ones are far and few between."

Louis Janssen

20 PIGEON FACTS

  1. According to Animal Planet, Racing Pigeons are the 8th. smartest animal.
  2. Racing Homers have been clocked flying in excess of 90mph.
  3. The most expensive Racing Pigeon purchased was $1.9 Million 2020.
  4. Pigeons are ready to breed at 6 months of age.
  5. Racing Pigeons are bred, raised and trained as good as Thoroughbred Horses.
  6. There are more than a million fanciers around the world that keep pigeons.
  7. There are more than 500 different breeds of domesticated pigeons.
  8. Both parents feed the young milk.
  9. They have been known to see over a 25 mile distance.
  10. Unless separated pigeons mate for life.
  11. A full grown pigeon has approximately 10,000 feathers.
  12. A pigeon enhales and exhales with every beat of its wings (up to 10 times per second), while maintaining a heart rate of 600 beats per minute up to 16 hours without rest.
  13. A pigeon can fly straight up.
  14. University of Montana concluded; “Pound for pound the pigeon is one of the most smartest and physically adept creatures in the animal kingdom.”
  15. Queen Elizabeth II races pigeons from the Royal Lofts at Sandringham.
  16. Pigeons are the only bird in the world that do not have to lift their head to swallow.
  17. During breeding season when there are a few babies on the floor, all parents will feed all babies, even if they are not their own.
  18. The ability to hear sounds 11 octaves below middle C allow the pigeon to detect earthquakes and electrical storms.
  19. The top national race in the USA, Hoosier Classic awards a purse of $1,000,000
  20. Recognize hundreds of images even after several years have past, recognize their own reflection and can discriminate differences between two objects.