Racing Pigeon

[chris mac]

This Heron was flying thru the anchorage after dark and hit our shroud. I heard and felt the vibration through the hull! He sat there about 15 minutes flexing and stretching his wing.
Luckily he was able to fly away as well, but I bet that hurt!

[Kelkara]

It was a dark and stormy night at anchor, I was in bed listening to the wind howl in the rigging. When suddenly there was a loud clanging noise, followed a few seconds later by something beating against the deck that shouldn't be.

Fearing that part of the rigging had snapped, I grabbed a light and went outside ... only to see a dizzy disoriented bird on the deck, who had clearly just flown directly into the mast.

He spent two days onboard recovering from his concussion before flying off into the forest ... he didn't like the food I left out.

[HopCar]

It was a dark and stormy night and all the sailors were seated around the cockpit. The Captain turned to his favorite Lieutenant and said “Lieutenant give us a tale”. And so the Lieutenant began. It was a dark and stormy night…

Sorry I had to do it.

[Jim Cate]

Meanwhile, what's happening aboard Noelex's boat????

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Meanwhile, what's happening aboard Noelex's boat????

Hi Jim

This adorable pigeon has been crewing for just over a week now, flying off for 30 hours shore leave midway when we left her alone one day, returning starving. We have named her Minki . She has a delightful personality and is ruling the roost. She took her first sail with us well in her stride, standing under the shade of the bimini on the pilothouse roof on one leg, rotating to face into wind whenever we changed direction. Sails flapping did not disconcert her. She is far more concerned whenever I jump overboard, dashing to the swimming platform to check where I have gone .

We have had some excellent support from the Vincentian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the animal shelter on Mayreau. Wonderful, caring people. Yesterday the VSPCA found a home for Minki on a beautiful property in the highlands of St Vincent. I am catching a ferry to Kingstown on Monday and handing her over.

The only racing organisation here within pigeon flying distance is The National Pigeon Racing Commission of Trinidad and Tobago located in Port of Spain, about 250 km away. The code WCC does not seem to be associated with them though, so it is still a real mystery where she has come from. She was definitely lost during a race, as she has a chip in the unmarked tag on her right leg that would have been scanned to clock her return.

Interestingly, I have learned that the way this club races birds is to pack hundreds of them tightly into boxes and load them on a Vincentian cargo ship that then releases them at a nominated spot at sea, from where they fly south to get home. I don’t know how many survive. Apparently 75-90% die crossing the English channel when racing across, so it is possible the statistics are similar.

South Africa is still the only link we can come up with regarding her home country.

Wherever this youngster has come from, she is a survivor .

SWL

[GordMay]

You can't lose a homing pigeon.
If it doesn't come back, it was only a pigeon, to start with.

Q: What do you call a homeless pigeon?
A: A pigeon.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by GordMay

You can't lose a homing pigeon.
If it doesn't come back, it was only a pigeon, to start with.

Q: What do you call a homeless pigeon?
A: A pigeon.

Another way of expressing this is that all pigeons are homing pigeons if you have created a home for them to return to .

I wonder if epigenetic changes have resulted in feral pigeons having lost this instinct after generations of adapting to city living? They have not been bred for the best racing characteristics so they most likely would not be competitive, but I bet they could still navigate home infinitely better than we could unaided .

SWL

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Hi Jim

This adorable pigeon has been crewing for just over a week now, flying off for 30 hours shore leave midway when we left her alone one day, returning starving. We have named her Minki . She has a delightful personality and is ruling the roost. She took her first sail with us well in her stride, standing under the shade of the bimini on the pilothouse roof on one leg, rotating to face into wind whenever we changed direction. Sails flapping did not disconcert her. She is far more concerned whenever I jump overboard, dashing to the swimming platform to check where I have gone .

We have had some excellent support from the Vincentian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who are associated with the shelter on Mayreau. Wonderful, caring people. Yesterday a home was found for Minki on a beautiful property in the highlands of St Vincent. I am catching a ferry to Kingstown on Monday and handing her over.

The only racing organisation here within pigeon flying distance is The National Pigeon Racing Commission of Trinidad and Tobago located in Arita, about 250 km away. The code WCC does not seem to be associated with them though, so it is still a real mystery where she has come from. She was definitely lost during a race, as she has a chip in the unmarked tag on her right leg that would have been scanned to clock her return.

Interestingly, I have learned that the way this club races birds is to pack hundreds of them tightly into boxes and load them on a Vincentian cargo ship that then releases them at a nominated spot at sea, from where they fly south to get home. I don’t know how many survive. Apparently 75-90% die crossing the English channel when racing across, so it is possible the statistics are similar.

South Africa is still the only link we can come up with regarding her home country.

Wherever this youngster has come from, she is a survivor .

SWL

Awesome! Nice work, Seaworthy.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by GordMay

You can't lose a homing pigeon.
If it doesn't come back, it was only a pigeon, to start with.

Q: What do you call a homeless pigeon?
A: A pigeon.

Fun fact... when I took in Pat, my fledgling "homeless pigeon," the rescue told me to only hang on to them until they could fly around for a few seconds by themselves and then to release them ASAP.

Otherwise, they imprint on you and your location and will return back to you forever...

Edit: Not sure what happens if you're on a moving sailboat though...

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Fuss

Ok, we've had the sentimental posts , now lets have some recipes.

Not much of a feed on a single pigeon......... don't ask how I know this...

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

Fun fact... when I took in Pat, my fledgling "homeless pigeon," the rescue told me to only hang on to them until they could fly around for a few seconds by themselves and then to release them ASAP.

Otherwise, they imprint on you and your location and will return back to you forever...

Edit: Not sure what happens if you're on a moving sailboat though...

^^^^

Ange (SWL), many years ago, down in the Sea of Cortez we had a pal on a M/V. This chap was a bit rough around the edges but not a bad sort. One day he encountered a pelican which had gotten a fish hook embedded just under one eye and was in pretty bad shape. He got it aboard, removed the hook and cared for the bird for weeks as it recovered. Eventually it flew away, but for several years thereafter, when he would return to Baja, no matter where he was in the Sea, the pelican would return periodically, land on his foredeck and waddle back to the cockpit to say g'day. We saw the bird several times, identified by the big scar on it's face.

So, it does not need to be a pigeon to have such a "homing" instinct. And you may have a friend for life if the new "owner" does not lock Minki in a cage!

But a nice act on your part...

Jim

[JPA Cate]

SWL, don't be surprised if Minki beats you back to the boat. Having been 30 hrs. away and still having come back indicates she's quite capable of searching for and finding the boat, just as Terry's pelican kept an eye open for his boat, so will Minki.. The new owner will have to confine her for a while, if you guys don't want to deal with importing her when you arrive home.

At least you're having a fun time with her.

Ann

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

^^^^

Ange (SWL), many years ago, down in the Sea of Cortez we had a pal on a M/V. This chap was a bit rough around the edges but not a bad sort. One day he encountered a pelican which had gotten a fish hook embedded just under one eye and was in pretty bad shape. He got it aboard, removed the hook and cared for the bird for weeks as it recovered. Eventually it flew away, but for several years thereafter, when he would return to Baja, no matter where he was in the Sea, the pelican would return periodically, land on his foredeck and waddle back to the cockpit to say g'day. We saw the bird several times, identified by the big scar on it's face.

So, it does not need to be a pigeon to have such a "homing" instinct. And you may have a friend for life if the new "owner" does not lock Minki in a cage!

But a nice act on your part...

Jim

What a lovely tale . Made me smile.

I think we tend to mark an arbitrary, but hard line between acceptable treatment of “pets” and other breeds of animals. This is not based on intelligence of the animal (pigs are apparently brighter than dogs), or how much they will bond with humans or how domesticated they are or how much they can experience joy or pain or how much they care for their young or grieve when partners are lost. It is probably based on convention more than anything else.

Most people would say they object to cruelty to pets, and these are often treated as family members, yet people turn a blind eye elsewhere on a daily basis .

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

SWL, don't be surprised if Minki beats you back to the boat. Having been 30 hrs. away and still having come back indicates she's quite capable of searching for and finding the boat, just as Terry's pelican kept an eye open for his boat, so will Minki.. The new owner will have to confine her for a while, if you guys don't want to deal with importing her when you arrive home.

At least you're having a fun time with her.

Ann

It has been quite an experience. I have learned a huge amount in the process.
And I have an adventure ahead of me on Monday .

Minki’s new home is in a spectacular location in the hills. The lady has experience with birds and will keep Minki confined initially. I don’t know how long it will take for the new place to imprint as home. It does happen, as racing pigeons are sold all the time. One went for 1.6 million euros (roughly US$1.7 million) a few years back. They would be worthless if they made a beeline for their original home each time they were released to race!

We may well see Minki on board again, but I do so hope she settles in the new location.

SWL

[JPA Cate]

Yeah, I hope so, too, because if she insists on you and your boat and feeding schedule, it is going to be a lot of administrative hassle at some point, based on our experience, anyway.

Good luck with it. imo, there is NO substitute for good luck.

Ann

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

... I don’t know how long it will take for the new place to imprint as home. It does happen, as racing pigeons are sold all the time. One went for 1.6 million euros (roughly US$1.7 million) a few years back. They would be worthless if they made a beeline for their original home each time they were released to race! ...

Actually, such a bird might be virtually priceless - providing a residual income, from perpetual re-sale.