Carrier pigeon sport: exhaustion, hunger and fatal collisions

No other sport in Switzerland treats animals with such disregard.

Far from public view and without regulatory oversight, carrier pigeons are pushed to extreme physical limits by Swiss breeders at sporting events in Switzerland and abroad. An investigation by Swiss Animal Protection STS reveals: many racing pigeons are kept in conditions that violate animal welfare laws, and by the end of a racing season up to half of all birds are dead.

In 2015, 137 active breeders were registered with the Swiss Carrier Pigeon Association SBV. These breeders “produce” around 25,000 young birds each year. Some breeders keep several hundred pigeons in their lofts.

The quality of animal husbandry varies enormously. Out of fear of birds of prey or thieves, a number of pigeon fanciers keep their birds locked up throughout the winter in dark, stuffy enclosures without the legally required outdoor aviary. In large racing establishments, only a fraction of the birds are likely to enjoy regular free flight, while dozens, if not hundreds, of animals spend their lives as mere reserves in cramped pigeon lofts.

Alarmingly high loss rates

During the competition season, pigeon fanciers make use of the “widowhood method”: they repeatedly separate pigeon pairs — who mate for life — and enter one partner in race flights so that he — or she — flies home as quickly as possible. A Swiss racing pigeon is transported 12 to 14 times per season in cramped, overcrowded transporters to eastern Germany or the Czech Republic. Competition distances of up to 600 km must be covered by the surviving pigeons in just seven to eight hours. But only a fraction of the pigeons ever make it back to their home loft: depending on weather conditions, flight distance, and the individual bird’s fitness, loss rates of 10 to 50% must be expected! Some racing pigeons return home only with a delay — they are found by animal lovers, nursed back to health in animal shelters, and returned to their owner, provided the owner is even still interested in taking them back. Others never return at all. They die of exhaustion or hunger, are taken by birds of prey, or collide with power lines. In any other animal sport, competitions with such high loss rates would be banned. Yet pigeon racing continues to exist largely undisturbed by official oversight.

Unacceptable exploitation of animals: In the view of Swiss Animal Protection STS, the tradition of racing pigeon sport — with its tinge of military nostalgia — in its current form represents an unacceptable exploitation and overtaxing of animals. The STS criticises both the lax legal regulations governing pigeon keeping and the lack of official oversight in pigeon sport.

There is no justification for this form of animal exploitation. The current form of racing pigeon breeding and racing pigeon sport exceeds the natural adaptability of the animals. It therefore violates the principles of animal protection legislation. In the medium term, the federal government should commission a study to clarify whether racing pigeon sport can be conducted in a manner that is at all compatible with animal welfare, or whether it should be banned entirely.

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