Pigeon racing

Pigeon racing is a sport in which pigeons are removed by an agreed distance from their home coop and then released at a predetermined time. The arrival of each bird at its home coop is carefully recorded. The times for each of the birds in the race are then compared to determine the order in which they reached their homes, and a winner is declared on that basis.

Homing pigeons are used in these races because they are the ones that have been developed by selective breeding to be able to navigate back to their homes from places that they have never visited before. (Homing pigeons should be clearly distinguished from the ornamental breed called carrier pigeons. Carrier pigeons, as they exist today, are poor fliers.)