The speed of a pigeon is a critical part of the homing ability together with overcoming many possible obstacles. The wing structure and characteristics are important in defining the racing capacity of a bird, along with various other anatomical traits. Besides the need for good muscle functioning, a great variety of other factors, including the wing quality, are present which determine the suitability of a bird for racing according to speed. Racing pigeons have long been used as models for navigational studies and their homing ability has intrigued many throughout the ages. The essence of a homing pigeon is its ability to navigate and return home in the quickest manner and from distant unfamiliar locations.
Such factors include prevailing wind direction and speed, rainfall, sun visibility, temperature-humidity index, temperature, health, disease, husbandry and nutrition, training, familiarity and geography of landscape. Many external factors are believed to have an effect on the flying speed and thus racing performance of pigeons whereas others may not affect speed or do so to a lesser extent. Several adaptations make birds solid and strong, yet at the same time lightweight ‘flying machines’. The homing pigeon (a variety of domesticated pigeon, Columba livia domestica) has long been known for its impressive ability to navigate through various terrains and find its way home, with speed being essential for a quick return when racing. However, the contribution of the body weight, chest depth (as breast muscle volume), and wing length to the flying success is strongly imaginable, which needs further research Over and above, from the investigation it can be concluded that the flying speed of the racing pigeon is not clearly determined by their body measurements, by their live weights and condition losses.
While the wing length stayed in a closer negative connection (r=-0.40, p<0.05) to the loss in body condition.Īssociation of traits was further evaluated by use of factor analysis, from which it is concluded that the measurement responsible for body capacity, the measurements contributing the wing surface area, and the speed of bird are belonging to different determining groups (factors). The BV speed showed significant association with the real flying speed only (r=0.71), and there were no statistically proven correlations with the body measurements and the body condition loss as well. The breeding value for flying speed (BV speed) was calculated by an individual animal model taking the proven environmental effects (fixed: year of race, wind direction, rain fall, reproductive status co-variates: distance, temperature-humidity index) into consideration next to the genetic relatedness. The fieldwork consisted of taking down of various body measurements of 49 birds, which was improved by collection of racing-, meteorological-, geographical-, and pedigree data.Īccording to the age corrected body measurements the birds of actual flock were longer in wing length, narrower in wing width and lighter in body weight than birds in Horn’s study. The aim of this investigation was to prove the outer and inner environmental impacts on the flying performances of racing pigeon flock. The ability of racing pigeons to navigate and to find their way home is determined by many factors.
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