RACING PIGEONS – IMPACT OF RAPTOR PREDATION

In 1996 a total of 34,685 birds from 1,643 lofts were reported lost during races, an
average of 21 birds per loft. This was a marked increase in losses compared to 1986
when a total of 10,131 birds were lost from 973 lofts, an average of 10 birds per loft.
The SHU (1998) reported that overall losses have increased during the last 20 years.
Members are reported to breed 59% (19 pigeons per loft) more young birds than in
1975 to maintain a sufficient population of old birds to compete the following season.
The Scottish racing pigeon population is estimated to be 340,382 birds, based on there
being 4,151 lofts with an average of 82 birds per loft (Shawyer et al., 2000).
2.6.2 Hawk & Owl Trust Study
Losses to peregrines were estimated by comparing the total annual losses of racing
pigeons in regions of the UK which support breeding peregrines with a control region
(eastern England) in which breeding peregrines are scare. Peregrine predation was
estimated to account for 7.1% and 7.0% of the loft populations of ‘old’ and ‘young’
birds during their respective race seasons, throughout the UK excluding eastern
England. The average loft population at the start of their respective seasons were
estimated as 27 ‘old’ birds and 46 ‘young’ birds. For the whole of the UK, losses
were 3.2% and 4.2% respectively.
From examination of the flight histories of racing pigeons, whose rings had been
recovered post-breeding from a random sample of 105 peregrine eyries, it was
estimated that, at a national level, attacks by peregrines were predominantly on birds
which had been liberated in races (72%) rather than those in training flights (17%) or
at the loft (11%). There was a regional difference, however, in the proportions of
pigeons lost whilst racing, training or at the loft. Losses during racing were highest in
Scotland (95% of total losses), during training in Northern Ireland (48%) and from
lofts in the Western Area (15%).
Thirty-six percent of the rings recovered from eyries belonged to race-feral pigeons,
that is birds which had been liberated a year or more before discovery of their ring in
an eyrie. Of the other 64% (i.e. non race-ferals), which were liberated in the same
year as their ring was found, 46% were flying on a direct line to their lofts, 41% were
off-line and 12% had overshot their loft when predated. It was concluded that at least
70% of the racing pigeons predated by peregrines were pigeons that were already
feral, or had strayed significantly from their flight routes.
Sparrowhawk attacks at the loft were examined from a telephone questionnaire
survey of 255 lofts throughout the UK. Overall, 63% of lofts annually experienced
attacks and an average of 2.7 birds were lost per loft, representing 3.7% of the UK
racing pigeon population. There was regional variation in the proportion of lofts
attacked (42-87%) and the number of birds lost per loft (1.2-4.6 or 1.9-6.3%), with
rates highest in Scotland (86% of lofts and 3.5 birds per loft or 4.1 birds per attacked
loft) and Northern Ireland (87% of lofts and 4.6 birds per loft). It was reported that a
similar estimate was supplied to the UK Raptor Working Group by the RPRA of 2.3
birds per loft (0.2-5.2) for 14 regions throughout Britain and Ireland.
In comparison to the estimated losses to peregrines and sparrowhawks, total losses
from all causes were 35% and 48% for ‘old’ and ‘young’ birds during their respective
20