Profiling Flight Performance of Young Racing Pigeons (columba Livia) in Training - Profiling Flight Performance of Young Racing Pigeons (columba Livia) in Training - Open Access Pub

Two groups of young pigeons were trained and flight parameters profiled over a flight path of approximately 90 km and a number of measures were developed to analyse their flight performances. An aerodynamic model of avian flight was fitted to the data to assess its value in predicting flight performances. Both groups, although trained and flown independent of each other, had very similar profiles through time. Race speeds home peaked between weeks 5 - 8 of training and averaged 15.0 (2.0) m/s for Group 1 and 15.6 (2.7) m/s for Group 2. Flight performance in early stages of training in this study seemed to be affected by previous health conditions but once training progressed beyond 5 weeks, young pigeons appeared to fly at a constant preferred speed. DOI10.14302/issn.2575-1212.jvhc-17-1796 Homing pigeons (Columba livia) have an exceptional ability to navigate over long distances and if released at unfamiliar locations, instinctively and immediately endeavour to return to their home lofts. This homing phenomenon is the basis for the sport of pigeon racing - a popular hobby throughout the world1. Despite the homing pigeon having been the subject of much study in relation to avian navigation 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, avian flight mechanics 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and basic physiological 20, 21, nutritional 22, 23and anatomical 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 information, there are surprisingly few scientific studies on factors that affect racing performance. In early works where pigeon homing behaviour was used to study avian navigation it became clear that homing ability was likely to be governed by a number of independent factors and doubts were expressed that observations of homing would be useful in determining the basis of avian navigation 3, 4, 5. An attempt was made to distinguish between orientation, describing the ability of a pigeon to head in the direction of home from a release site, and homing ability, describing how well, in terms of flight speed or percentage return rate, pigeons managed to get home 3, 4, 5, 10. Emphasis in navigation studies concentrated on time and direction of initial orientation and little or no effort was made to investigate specific factors that might affect flight speed in relation to racing pigeons' homing ability 10. Diagram 1 is a schematic that outlines some of the major factors, from empirical deduction, that could have an effect on racing performance in pigeons. Diagram 1. Major factors that could affect racing performance in pigeons. By way of example, in veterinary science, poor race performance has been