Actually, the family is divided into the granivourous species or those that are known as the seed-eating members, and the frugivorous species or those that feed on fruits. But of course, the pet pigeons can be introduced to a much well-rounded nutrition that is composed of pork or beef fat, fruits, seeds, meal worms, and egg shells. For those who are unaware of it, there are actually a lot of bird enthusiasts who are also aficionados of the sport. Racing pigeon is the sport genre that includes the flying of especially trained group of pigeons known as the "Racing Homer". The training of these pigeons includes letting them fly between 100 up to 1000 km. Training the Bird to Sit on Your Hand If you want your pet bird to be able to sit on your hand, then, you better let it get used to the presence of your hand inside the cage or loft. In that way, it will not be a cause of stress or alarm to the bird. While inside the cage or loft, take time to pet your bird and talk to it until such time that it becomes comfortable going near your hand or climbing on it. While it cannot be denied that physical features such as gait and wing muscle strength play a big factor in becoming a winner, attention should also be placed on the mental ability of a pigeon as early as an age of 3 months. More often than not, it is the mental faculties of your racing pigeon that will ultimately help you win the big prizes especially in competitions that involve long flights. Take account of these three key features in both the male and the female and the probability of producing quality stock should increase. To help you in the assessment, let's have a breakdown of these three key features: The Physical (gait, feather, wing) The physiology (fitness parameters). Psychology (attitude and competitiveness). Because of the evolution of the sport, the competing birds are now timed in through the use of the electronic clocks and the uniquely bar coded bands. They don't only serve the purpose of timing it but likewise calculate the pigeon's travel rate. To sum things up, pigeon race is made up of pigeons that are released by the owners in order to let them fly home.