Pigeon Racing season has begun on Vancouver Island with spring races

If you’re on Central Vancouver Island this weekend, don’t be surprised if you spot flocks of pigeons racing overhead.

According to Ohio transplant Andrew Loudon, there will be about eight separate pigeon races this spring, weather permitting.

As a member of the Mid Island Racing Pigeon Association and a professor of Zoology and Microbiology at Vancouver Island University, Loudon told Daily Hive that pigeon racing isn’t as uncommon as one might think — it’s just fallen out of fashion.

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In World War I, pigeons were used to send messages when radio communication was unfeasible. These birds were carried by aviators and released when a pilot crashed. In fact, 32 such pigeons were awarded the Dickin Medal, a military decoration for animals.

Loudon shared that his passion for pigeons stems from his grandfather, who expressed a desire to enlist in the “pigeon corps” during World War II. “However,” Loudon explained, “he was struck by a T-model and lost vision in one eye, so he couldn’t pursue that path, unfortunately.”

Despite not serving in the military, Loudon’s grandfather continued to pursue his passion for pigeons. “My grandfather began working with pigeons in the 1930s, focusing on Trenton pigeons, a strain bred for racing,” Loudon said.

Loudon has carried on this passion on Vancouver Island.

Is pigeon racing hard?

Living in Central Vancouver Island, it’s a bit easier to race pigeons than in cities. However, Loudon mentioned that there are pigeon clubs scattered all across Canada.

Apparently, domesticating pigeons is easier than one would think. “They figure out very quickly how to go in and out of their home,” he said.

“They’re like teams; they go on explore and flock together, they go routing, they go flying about, and disappear for an hour at a time. You can take them further away from home and rinse and repeat — they’ll usually come back.”

Loudon mentioned that he currently has 30 pigeons that he’s preparing for training. He explained that there are two types of pigeon races: old bird racing, which involves birds a year or older, and young bird racing, which features birds born in the same year they compete.

“Birds that are six weeks old, by August, they’ll be ready to race hundreds of kilometres,” he said.

How does pigeon racing work?

Loudon said that he and his fellow racers — there are nine members in the Mid Island Racing Pigeon Association — typically gather at a designated spot away from their homes.

Each racer usually arrives with a truck and trailer loaded with their pigeons. Simultaneously, each racer opens their trunk to release their pigeons, allowing them to fly back home.

Loudon said the first race of the season would cover 100 kilometres, while by the final race, the birds will race up to 250 kilometres away from home. Each pigeon will be equipped with an electric band that measures the distance and time it takes for them to return home.

Thanks to technology, getting accurate readings of the winner has become easier nowadays compared to his grandfather’s time.

“We can compare how many meters per minute, and we found that the average is 1,500 meters per minute, which means the birds can travel about 70 kilometres per hour.”

Loudon emphasized the significance of geography in pigeon racing. When comparing pigeon racing on Vancouver Island to that in Alberta, he noted that it’s more challenging here.

“[Vancouver Island] is considered a difficult course because of the mountains and water — but [racers in Alberta] would probably argue there [courses] are harder. Pigeon guys love having 500-mile races.”

Unfortunately, there’s no way to “watch” pigeon racing — it’s simply a pastime for the pigeon enthusiasts. But Loudon said anyone interested can reach out to the Mid Island Racing Pigeon Association here.