RACING PIGEONS – IMPACT OF RAPTOR PREDATION

OB=48). Collectively, however, the percentage of young bird losses per loft was
also significantly greater than old bird losses (median: YB=67, OB=57).
• Overall reported losses to all causes for the four different Scottish regions ranged
from 50% to 66%. There was no significant difference between regions, however,
in overall reported losses or in the total losses of old birds and young birds
individually. Examining the circumstances of reported losses, there was a
significant regional difference in the percentage of young birds lost during
training, with greatest reported losses in the Dundee/Fife/Perth region
(mean=31%) and lowest reported losses in Stirling/Dunbartonshire (mean=11%).
• It is extremely difficult to provide an estimate of percentage losses to all causes
given the different husbandry systems employed by racing pigeon fanciers.
There are also concerns over the accuracy of some of the summary data on
reported losses provided by some of the 31 lofts. At two of these lofts (6.5% of
lofts), the total number of birds reported lost exceeded the number of birds in the
loft at the start of the season. Also, at another loft a summary data sheet of
reported losses was provided by the owner on two separate occasions, with the
number of birds recorded not the same on the two forms. Errors in reported
losses, therefore, at other lofts in the trial sample cannot be ruled out.
• The returns from the SHU’s 1996/97 questionnaire survey of its members were
examined with the aim of analysing the data in order to develop an overview of
the extent and distribution in the reported losses of (and injuries to) racing
pigeons. Due to the design of the questionnaire and the quality of some of the
data returned, very limited analysis was possible. However, there were significant
differences between regions in the percentage of lofts reporting attacks, with, for
example, very high proportions of lofts in Glasgow and surrounding areas
reporting attacks, and lower proportions reporting attacks in the north of Scotland
and along the east coast. Across individual lofts there was no significant
difference in the numbers of old birds reported lost during training between 1986
and 1996, although at the Federation level the general trend was for a decrease in
training losses between 1986 and 1996. Across Federations the number of old
birds reported lost whilst racing increased significantly between 1986 and 1996.
The magnitude of the change in old birds lost between 1986 and 1996 during both
training and racing varied significantly between Federations. Mean training losses
to all causes decreased (range -8% to -68%) in 11 Federations and increased in
four (range +4% to +54%). Mean racing reported losses increased in all 15
Federations by 3% to 156%.
• A number of race diaries supplied by loft-owners were assessed for historical data
on losses. Data, however, were only extractable from the diaries of four fanciers
(one of which covered four years). The three remaining diaries produced
contradictory indications of historical changes in numbers of total losses since the
1980s or 1990s. Such loft-specific data on historical losses cannot be extrapolated
to the wider racing pigeon fraternity.
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