People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) purchased the birds in January for £1,500 ($1,896) and took them to a pigeon sanctuary, a spokesperson told The Washington Post on Wednesday.
“Pigeons are kind and loyal animals who are so intelligent that they were once entrusted by our military to deliver vital messages, yet cruel people are flying them to their deaths for entertainment,” Kate Werner, PETA senior campaigns manager, said in an email.
PETA penned a letter to the king this week, urging him to consider turning the royal pigeon loft, which dates back to 1886, into a “haven” for the “magnificent birds,” instead of exposing them to what it says is overbreeding and the dangers of racing — including severe weather, exhaustion, disorientation and predators.
A spokesperson for Sandringham said in an email Wednesday that the royal estate “has operated a pigeon loft for almost 150 years, and adheres to all standards and regulations required.” The royal pigeon loft was reportedly getting a “palatial” upgrade under Queen Elizabeth II years ago, designed to bring in natural light so the birds could “sunbathe” and “deluxe ladder-shape perches” to help them be active and social.
PETA is attempting to draw attention to the sport, which has long been part of the country’s history, by swooping in on the king — arguably the most visible owner of racing pigeons in British society.
In pigeon racing, the birds are launched together from one starting location, known as a “liberation point,” and the first bird to make its way home — wherever that may be — wins.
While once popular with royals and average Britons alike, its enthusiasm has dwindled in recent years. Experts citing less interest from younger generations and increasingly complex bureaucracy after Brexit for international competitions within Europe — where European countries will reportedly treat the pigeons as imports even if they immediately fly back to England in a race.
The royal family has owned pigeons at Sandringham for decades, according to the Royal Pigeon Racing Association — which notes that pigeons from the royal loft were used as carrier pigeons to deliver messages during World War I and World War II before returning to racing. The RPRA states that there are 160 mature pigeons in the royal loft, along with 80 young pigeons. While some are used “purely for breeding,” the majority are used to race.
Elizabeth was a patron of a number of pigeon racing societies, including the RPRA and the National Flying Club. The late monarch raced the birds herself in national competitions — though she too faced criticism for her involvement in the sport from animal rights activists.
PETA’s plea to the king ruffled some feathers in the pigeon racing world. “We totally oppose the statement that pigeon racing is a cruel sport,” Chris Sutton, CEO of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, said in an email Wednesday, noting that the health and well-being of the racing birds are paramount to the organization.
Before the competition begins, racing pigeons receive “necessary training and support,” Sutton said, adding that races are conducted “at the appropriate time in the safest weather.”
Sutton said the birds are provided a “secure and suitable environment” throughout their lifetime and that before entering a race, the birds are checked by a veterinarian to ensure they meet the requirements set out by government bodies.
But it is not without risk. The birds often fly long distances after they are released from specific locations. Races can be as long as 680 miles, according to PETA. Some races require pigeons to fly home to Britain across the English Channel from starting points in France, Belgium or Spain, PETA said, noting that some racers refer to the channel as “a graveyard.”
Pigeon racing has taken off in other countries. In South Africa, where the lucrative Million Dollar Pigeon Race is held, trainers are given a chance to win life-changing prize money, though the birds sent there from around the world risk potentially deadly viruses in quarantine before training and before the race takes place across the country. In 2020, all eight pigeons sent from the loft at Sandringham to participate in a competition in South Africa died before they could race, the Times of London reported.
In Iraq, the sport has exploded in popularity in recent years — as has kidnapping prize birds for ransom. Among the pigeon fanciers in the country are doctors, academics, high-level military, police, intelligence service officers and engineers, The Post reported in 2019.
The sport is also soaring in China, where there are an estimated 100,000 pigeon keeps in Beijing alone, the Telegraph reported in 2022. In 2020, a mystery buyer from China purchased a female racing pigeon from Belgium called “New Kim” for a record $1.7 million at an online auction, the BBC reported.
The British Homing World Show of the Year, where the auction took place, is held every year in Blackpool, England, and is sometimes referred to as the “Crufts of the Pigeon World.” Thousands of pigeons are brought to the event where they are shown and judged, much like dogs are at Crufts, an annual international dog show in England.
The birding event attracts about 25,000 visitors each year, according to organizers, and features an online charity auction where the three royal birds were purchased by PETA earlier this year.