Tossing The Birds: Raising Homing Pigeons

Video Transcript

"My name is Joseph Shung Chiang Lee. I am the member of the Calcutta Racing Pigeon Club. When they are about 3 months old, then we start to toss them. We usually toss them for about 1 kilometer on the full direction of the house and then we go to 2 kilometers and 3 kilometers from all the full direction of the house. Then after that we select one landmark. A landmark lets the pigeon recognize from far. The landmark for Calcutta is the Houra bridge. The Houra bridge can be seen from very far and the pigeons eyes; I read in a book that they can see to the distance of 200 kilometers. So next we start to toss from the landmark and the landmark of the Houra bridge is situated on the river Ganges. In the beginning, we will give them 2 toss on this side of the river. Then after that we cross the river and toss them from across the river. So usually we found that when you give them the first toss across the river Ganges, they have to feel crossing the river. They remove from this side of the river to that side of the river and then slowly when they see the landmark of their surrounding of the house, then they cross the river and come. After 2 or 3 tossed like from across the river, then after that you will find that the moment you released them, they would cross the river and come back. "