Birdmen / Zak Waters

Two pigeons once paired will stay with each other for life, which is why, when a bird is released at a point 600 miles from its home it will strive to be back beside its partner, often achieving this in under twelve hours. Pairing compatible birds and keeping them fit and healthy, is the key to producing a successful racing pigeon. The season starts in April and ends in September with the younger birds. Normally they are picked up on a Friday evening after the Birdmen have selected and registered their birds. Once the birds are registered and placed in their baskets, which are transported overnight to the chosen race venue, the Birdmen set their race clock timers at a given time, which starts the race timer.