Pigeon racing is a global competitive sport with millions of participants. The welfare costs — including race mortality and the fate of underperforming birds — are poorly understood by most observers.
Pigeon racing involves significant mortality and suffering that is largely invisible to the general public. Birds that cannot find their way home or are exhausted by extreme conditions die in the field. Breeding operations for racing pigeons often kill female chicks and underperforming birds. The combination of race mortality, culling of unfit birds, and the intense training required for competitive racing raises serious welfare questions. Welfare standards in pigeon racing are almost entirely self-regulated by sport governing bodies.