Pigeon Hero! (Ready-to-Reads)

In 16th century England, pigeon production for meat became commercial, with some pigeon farms housing anything up to 30, birds. The wide popularity of pigeon meat resulted in the bird becoming part of the daily diet rather than being considered only as a delicacy. In the main it was the squab pigeon chick that was consumed, with young birds being killed at approximately 4 weeks old for the table.

Although most ancient dovecotes are believed to be round in shape, the 17th century saw rectangular and octagonal dovecotes being built, some with incredibly intricate designs and housing many thousands of birds. The interior of a dovecote is usually a large open space with the breeding cubicles or ledges in rows around the internal walls. Although pigeons were farmed in the main for meat, their by-products were also in great demand. This was particularly the case in the 16th century when pigeon excrement was found to contain saltpetre, a substance used in the manufacture of gunpowder.

As a result, pigeon excrement became even more widely prized than pigeon meat. In some cases, armed guards were posted outside dovecotes to stop thieves stealing pigeon excrement. Production of saltpetre from pigeon excrement ended in the late 18th century when saltpetre was Restored 17th Century Dovecote.

In the 19th century the rearing of pigeons for meat fell into decline, which continued into the 20th century. However, during the First World War the American government encouraged people to breed pigeon squabs for meat, telling them:. Interior of Minster Lovell Hall Dovecote. In Britain, pigeon farming died out in the early part of the 20th century and there has been little interest since other than a mild resurgence of interest between the two Great Wars and later in where pigeons were bred for meat in Kent.

Ironically, the pigeon is now wrongly perceived as a disease carrier, in the main as a result of commercial propaganda pumped out by the pest control industry, with America being the source of a majority of this misinformation. However, it was less than years ago when Americans were told that there is 'nothing better to eat' than the pigeon, confirming absolutely the myth that the pigeon is a disease carrier. The first historical mention of pigeons being used for the purposes of sport is in the Jewish Talmud AD — The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history.

Within the Talmud there is a definition of a pigeon trainer as being someone who deploys decoy birds to attract other birds from another loft or dovecote.

This reference suggests that the ancient pigeon flying sport of Triganieri, or a version of this sport, may have been first practiced as far back as AD The sport of Triganieri is thought to have originated in Modena in northern Italy during the 14th century.

Triganieri, Modena in 14th Century. Dovecote-bred pigeons were commonly used for the sport of falconry. Of course hawks and falcons were commonly used to kill wild pigeons and in fact still are today in many countries worldwide, particularly the Middle East and the UK. Pigeons were also used to train falcons, using a live pigeon as a lure rather than the more common feathered lure. In the late 18th century, organised pigeon shooting became a popular sport in England, with tame dovecote-bred birds being used as targets.

Up to birds were used during one event. Later, organised pigeon shooting clubs were established, with the famous Hurlingham Club being founded in London in The birds that were used as targets in these shoots became quite highly prized, with members of clubs like the Hurlingham Club paying as much as half a crown per bird. Olympic Games Poster, Paris Incredibly, the Summer Olympic Games held in Paris in included live pigeon shooting as a demonstration event, but due to public outrage, it was never granted official status.

Even more incredible is the fact that over years after the shooting of domesticated pigeons for sport first started in England, the state of Pennsylvania in the USA continues the tradition. Several shooting clubs in Pennsylvania host pigeon shoots where captive feral pigeons are released from traps and shot at point-blank range with automatic and semi-automatic weapons. A majority of the pigeons sold to these clubs are feral pigeons that have been illegally netted for the purpose. Pest control companies also cage-trap feral pigeons for their clients, supposedly as a method of bird control, and sell the live birds to shooting clubs.

Pigeon racing as we know it today is the sport most commonly associated with pigeons and a sport which is still enjoyed by large numbers of enthusiasts worldwide. The modern day sport of pigeon racing started in Belgium in and within 20 years had made its way across the Channel and was being enjoyed in the UK. Pigeons are released to fly over a carefully measured distance during a race and the time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is then measured. The bird's rate of travel is then calculated and compared with that of all the other pigeons in the race to determine Old Timing Clock.

In the early part of the 20th century, pigeons were transported to release sites in horse-drawn carriages, but today huge articulated lorries with all modern conveniences for both pigeons and owners transport thousands of birds to a single race. It is common for pigeons to fail to return home after a race, with large numbers of birds falling prey to exhaustion, weather conditions and birds of prey. Many of the survivors join feral flocks in urban areas and integrate quickly with feral birds. Some experts believe that the considerable numbers of racing birds lost annually to feral flocks has a significant impact on the size of feral flocks and pigeon-related problems in urban areas.

A major disaster befell tens of thousands of racing pigeons released from Nantes in France as part of a race held to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Racing Pigeon Association in England A champion racing pigeon can be released miles away from its home and still return within the day. It is believed that the instinct to return to a mate and nest is a powerful motivator, but this does not explain the ability to travel such extraordinary distances and at such speeds.

An adult pigeon in good condition can achieve average speeds of up to kmph on short to middle distance flights and fly at an altitude of 6, feet. A year study carried out by Oxford University concluded that pigeons use roads and motorways to navigate, in some cases even changing direction at motorway junctions. Pigeon racing saw a massive increase in popularity at the end of the First Great War, and between the two wars the sport was enjoyed by entire families.

Prior to it was impossible to calculate the number of members of the RPRA , but in a single member subscription system was brought in, allowing a true assessment of the membership for the first time. In the total membership for the RPRA was 60, There has been a marked decline in the sport in recent years which is blamed, certainly in part, on the restrictions imposed on keeping pigeons on residential properties. Due to the negative and inaccurate publicity generated by the pest control industry, suggesting that pigeons are disease carriers, objections are quickly raised if a pigeon loft is erected on a residential property.

Alternative sites for racing pigeon lofts are almost impossible to find and there is the inevitable risk of vandalism and theft associated with remote lofts. The future for pigeon racing is unsure in the long-term but although the sport is in decline at present, it is far from dying out. It must be hoped that the sport will continue long into the future and help to raise the profile of a much maligned and unique bird that has given so much to man and yet has been rewarded with hate and persecution in the 21st century. Rock Doves in Natural Habitat. In the 1st century AD the Roman historian Pliny discussed the breeding of fancy pigeons, confirming that the practice had been ongoing for some considerable time.

In the same century, the Roman scholar Varro made clear references to cross-breeding. Throughout the next years breeding and cross-breeding of the pigeon to produce fancy breeds has become an art form, with over known breeds of fancy pigeon in existence today. This group of fancy pigeons includes birds that are bred for show purposes but which can also be used in flying competitions for their acrobatic abilities. As the name suggests, this group of pigeons was bred for their homing abilities but also includes racing birds bred specifically for showing.

Some members of this group were originally bred for their acrobatic abilities but have been interbred to such an extent that they are now considered to be purely show birds. This group consists of many different varieties of fancy pigeon bred specifically for their colour and markings. This group of fancy pigeons is bred purely for their ability to inflate their crop with air. This group has been bred for their stunted beaks and their extraordinary chest feathers. The breeding of fancy pigeons is an international pastime, with pigeon fanciers coming together at local, national and international shows to compete for ever-growing prizes.

The German National Pigeon Show, one of the largest national pigeon shows, is held annually in Nurnberg and attracted 33, people to the event. This demonstrates how popular pigeon fancying has become. The annual show held by the Royal Pigeon Racing Association in Blackpool is attended by upwards of 25, people each year, with all profits raised from the event being donated to charity.

Other than the wild rock dove, of which there are very few remaining, and the feral pigeon, there are only 3 other varieties of the columbidae family commonly found in the UK: Unlike the feral pigeon, however, the wood pigeon is found predominantly in rural areas, but in the last 30 years the bird has started to exploit urban habitats as a result of increasing persecution in its natural habitat.

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The wood pigeon breeds between June and November, but can breed much earlier in the year depending on weather conditions and food sources. Woodland areas are the natural choice for wood pigeons when breeding, but the birds are now commonly found exploiting trees in domestic gardens and parkland as a result of persecution and the removal of habitats in rural areas. Wood pigeons lay two white eggs in a very basic nest made of twigs, with eggs hatching in days.

The young fledge at days but can fledge much earlier or stay in the nest longer in some circumstances. Wood Pigeon in Flight. Flock of Wood Pigeons. The wood pigeon is slaughtered in huge numbers, often illegally , by farmers and those selling shooting rights on their land. With the decline in conventional farming practices in the UK, more and more landowners are turning to shooting as a source of income. Wood Pigeons in a Field.

Closing the Pigeon Gap | History | Smithsonian

The collared dove is a small bird, smaller than the feral pigeon, measuring cm and weighing grams. It is a pinkish grey colour all over with the exception of a narrow black band around the rear of the neck and dark wing tips on the primary flight feathers. Collared doves breed almost exclusively in trees or bushes and build a very basic nest made of small twigs.

Collared Dove Squab in Nest. Stock dove Stock Dove. The stock dove measures cm in length with an average weight of grams, almost identical to the rock dove and feral pigeon. The stock dove is a shy and solitary bird and normally found in rural areas, mainly farmland, moorland and open parkland areas with large deciduous trees. The bird is rarely found in urban areas. Although the stock dove inhabits the same areas as the wood pigeon, it is rarely found in large flocks, with birds more likely to be seen in pairs rather than in numbers.

Like the wood pigeon, the stock dove is shot extensively due to its natural habitat on farmland, often illegally and mainly for sport, but in the name of control. Susan Kennedy marked it as to-read Jun 09, Heidi added it Oct 24, Hillvan added it Jan 08, Christina Wan added it Jan 17, Lauren Piechota marked it as to-read Aug 23, Charles King added it May 24, Chely added it Jun 25, Elizabeth added it Feb 12, The Bougie Twins added it Dec 04, Chrysanthemum Flower marked it as to-read Apr 07, Amanda Brand is currently reading it Nov 07, There are no discussion topics on this book yet.

About Shirley Raye Redmond. Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of several "sweet" romance novels and dozens of children's books.

PIGEONS - EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PIGEON

Many of her titles have won both national and regional awards. She liv Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of several "sweet" romance novels and dozens of children's books. She lives with her family in New Mexico. Other books in the series. Level 2 1 - 10 of 41 books. Books by Shirley Raye Redmond. Trivia About Pigeon Hero!

At midnight on November 12, , two French balloons, inflated with highly flammable coal gas and manned by desperate volunteers, took off from a site in Monmartre, the highest point in Paris. The balloons rose from a city besieged—the Franco-Prussian War had left Paris isolated, and the city had been hastily encircled by the Prussian Army—and they did so on an unlikely mission.

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They carried with them several dozen pigeons, gathered from lofts across the city, that were part of a last-ditch attempt to establish two-way communication between the capital and the French provisional government in Tours, miles southwest. Paris had been encircled since mid-September. By early autumn, with the prospects of relief as distant as ever, and the population looking hungrily at the animals in the zoo, the besieged French had scoured the city and located seven balloons, one of which, the Neptune , was patched up sufficiently to make it out of the city over the heads of the astounded Prussians.

The work was dangerous and the flights no less so—2. Of the two balloons in the pigeon flight, one, the Daugerre , was shot down by ground fire as it drifted south of Paris in the dawn, but the other, the Niepce , survived by hastily jettisoning ballast and soaring out of range. Its precious pigeon cargo would return to the city bearing messages by the thousand, all photographed using the brand-new technique of microfilming and printed on slivers of collodium, each weighing just a hundredth of an ounce.

These letters were limited to a maximum of 20 words and they were carried into Paris at a cost of 5 francs each. In this way, Horne notes, a single pigeon could fly in 40, dispatches, equivalent to the contents of a substantial book. The messages were then projected by magic lantern onto a wall, transcribed by clerks, and delivered by regular post. A total of largely untrained pigeons left Paris in the course of the siege, and 57 returned to the city.

Still, the general principle that carrier pigeons could make communication possible in the direst of situations was firmly established in , and by , Spain, Russia, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Romania had established their own pigeon services.

Pigeon Hero!

The British viewed these developments with some alarm. A call to arms published in the influential journal The Nineteenth Century expressed concern at the development of a worrying divergence in military capability. The Empire, it was suggested, was being rapidly outpaced by foreign military technology. People have known for thousands of years that some species of pigeons have an uncanny ability to find their way home to their roosts from almost any distance, though exactly how the birds manage their feats remains a subject of dispute.

What can be said is that individual birds have been known to home across distances of more than a thousand miles. Seen from this perspective, The Nineteenth Century had some reason to be concerned. The fanatical hatred of pigeons is actually a relatively new phenomenon….

From a military point of view, pigeons still had much to recommend them as late as the First World War. They ate little and were easy to transport. More important, they could travel at speeds well in excess 60 m.

Captured homing pigeons betrayed nothing of their point of origin or their destination, and those that made it through completed their journeys tirelessly and as rapidly as possible. Experience of war in the trenches confirmed that the birds would keep trying to home despite life-threatening injuries.

The most celebrated of all military pigeons was an American Black Check by the name of Cher Ami, which successfully completed 12 missions. Whittlesey, found themselves cut off deep in the Argonne and under bombardment form their own artillery. By the time the bird made it back to its loft 25 miles away, it was blind in one eye, wounded in the breast, and the leg to which Whittlesey had attached his message was dangling from its body by a single tendon. The barrage was lifted, though, and nearly survivors credited Cher Ami with saving their lives.

The Americans carefully nursed the bird back to health and even fitted it with a miniature wooden leg before it was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with oak leaf cluster and repatriated. Credit for the development of a British service that rivaled the best that the continent could offer belongs to the neglected figure of Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Osman, proprietor of a weekly newspaper called The Racing Pigeon.