RACING PIGEONS – IMPACT OF RAPTOR PREDATION

would be expected as a consequence of a significantly greater number of young birds
compared to old birds in the loft population at the start of the season. However, the
percentage of total losses per loft was also significantly greater for young birds than
for old birds. A relatively greater loss of young birds is consistent with inexperienced
birds having a greater susceptibility to most causes of mortality and a less developed
homing instinct compared to old birds. Across the four combined regions, the only
variation in percentage birds lost was in respect to young birds lost during training.
Losses were greatest in Dundee/Fife/Perth (31%) and lowest in
Stirling/Dunbartonshire (11%).
In a previous study, Shawyer et al. (2000) reported mean losses from Scottish lofts of
15 old birds and 34 young birds, representing 48%, 67% and 60% of old bird, young
bird and collective loft populations respectively. The study reported an average preseason
loft population of 50 young birds and 31 old birds (n=53 lofts). There is close
agreement between the current CSL study and Shawyer et al. (2000) in the percentage
losses of racing pigeons reported lost to all causes.
The SHU’s questionnaire survey of its members reported a mean total loss of 45 birds
per loft during the racing season: loft 5, training 19, racing 21 (SHU 1998), but the
report does not indicate the size of the mean loft population. However, using
Shawyer et al.’s (2000) estimate of a mean 82 birds per Scottish loft, then a loss of 45
birds represents a loss of 55% of the loft population. Total losses of young birds were
numerically greater than losses of old birds during training in all Federations.
Relative losses of young and old birds from the loft or in races were not reported.
There are concerns over the accuracy of data on reported losses from the 31 lofts in
the present study. It was necessary to exclude two lofts from the analysis because
reported losses at these lofts (for OB and YB) exceeded the numbers of birds in the
loft at the start of the season. For a third loft it was not clear which season’s losses
were being reported. Finally, at a fourth loft, two loss summary forms were returned,
having been completed at different times following the end of the racing season,
which recorded different numbers of young bird losses. In view of the anomalies
associated with a number of lofts (13% of all trial lofts), it raises uncertainties
concerning data from the other lofts. Therefore, as in previous studies attempting to
quantify loft losses (and in many other studies that rely on non-scientists to provide
data) there are questions about the data’s accuracy.
There are a number of further limitations in the study which should be noted when
considering the data on reported losses. Firstly, the sample size of 31 study lofts was
small. Secondly, the study lofts were a self-selected sample (i.e. loft-owners
volunteered their lofts for inclusion in the study) with 50% of the study regions
chosen by SHU. As with any self-selected sample, therefore, there are concerns over
its representativeness. Finally, data on reported losses provided by loft-owners was
collected retrospectively at the end of the season. Accuracy may have been improved
if data recording sheets had been provided at the start of the season.
3.3 SHU QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY DATA (1996-97)
3.3.1 Methods
The SHU questionnaire survey returns were examined with the aim of analysing data
to investigate differences in losses between Federations, and differences in losses
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