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idea first. The Bible says he released a dove after the flood, and it returned with an olive twig. But bird fanciers insist a dove doesn’t “home,” so it must have been a pigeon.
Egyptians were breeding special strains of messenger pigeons as early as 3000 B.C. The winged heralds sped the names of Greek Olympic victors to their home cities.
The Roman naturalist Pliny marveled at the immense price and prestige commanded by the birds: "Nay, they are come to this pass, that they can reckon up their pedigree and race.”
The Sultan of Baghdad linked his empire with a pigeon post system in 1150. Seven centuries later, message-carrying pigeons started Paul Julius Reuter on his way to founding a global news service. And just a few years ago a newsman had his photographic film of a moon shot airlifted to the office by a homer.
Fly For Sport
Today, most pigeons fly just for sport. Organized racing began in Belgium in the early 1800s and soon spread. Fanciers breed and race their own birds. Even Queen Elizabeth of England has her own pigeon loft.
Training begins when birds
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