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Flights of fancy
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Only the doudaval can fly for the maximum duration — S. A. Siyage
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Only the doudaval can fly for the maximum duration. — S. A. Siyage
IT IS 6 a.m. and the sun has just risen. Half-a-dozen people have gathered in a courtyard at Bhagavathynada, near Balaramapuram. Fr. T. Edison, pigeon enthusiast, feeds two of his pigeons with a few soaked and peeled almonds. He takes the pigeons out of the cage and caresses them. He lets them fly, but the reluctant birds fly off to perch on the roof of his house. Fr. Edison claps his hands and the pigeons soar into the sky. They fly throughout the night. The birds are competing in a race, organised by the city-based National Pigeon Fliers' Association. Many pigeon enthusiasts have gathered here to find out whose bird can fly for the maximum duration and emerge winner in the race.Every year, the annual pigeon racing competition is held during mid-June to mid-August in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by the Association.
The Association, set up in 1983 under the initiative of the late P. M. Krishnan, a pigeon enthusiast, has given pigeon racing in Kerala a new lease of life.
Initially, the organisation had a handful of members. Today, it has 350 members of which 200 are from Thiruvananthapuram alone. The members range from paan shop owners to doctors. Earlier, pigeon enthusiasts used to conduct racing competitions in their own localities. But now the racing competitions are held on a large scale and strict guidelines have been enforced.
The Association, the only one of its kind in India, has associate clubs in various parts of the country, yet most of its members are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Few pigeon owners from north India enter their birds for the races.
Fr. Edison is one among the 45 enthusiasts who has entered his pigeons in this year's race. For the past six months, he has been busy training his pigeons for the competition.
Certain pigeons have the stamina to fly for hours at a stretch. "Once such birds are identified, they are trained. There are no set patterns for the training though. Each owner trains his pigeons in the way he thinks best," says Fr. Edison.
Some birds can be trained easily through signs and gestures. For instance, a pigeon in flight returns to the loft or to its owner on seeing another pigeon on the ground. The pigeons that are made to participate in races are initially made to fly for about an hour. The birds are then shown other pigeons as a signal to return to the ground. The duration for which the pigeons are made to fly is increased gradually. Soon, the birds get accustomed to flying for long hours.
The pigeons are also made to fly at night. Electric lamps are lit to enable the birds to look for the signals and return to the loft. When the signals are given after a span of 10 hours or so, the bird realises that it has to fly until it is signalled to come down. In the racing competition that is currently taking place across Kerala, the pigeons are not made to fly long distances - from a particular point to its loft. Instead the pigeons are made to remain in flight for over 10 hours at a particular locality.
Unlike other competitions, this one is held in the courtyard of each pigeon owner. The reason being that the pigeons get accustomed to a particular place than the individuals easily. If the birds are taken elsewhere and made to fly, they most probably would not budge. The referee goes to the location and notes down the hours logged by each pigeon during its flight.
I have been rearing pigeons for the past 50 years. — N. Raveendran
Says S. A. Siyage, president, National Pigeon Fliers' Association: "More than 40 varieties of pigeons are seen in south India, but only the doudaval can fly for the maximum duration." Some of the doudavals are brought from places such as Coimbatore and Nagercoil. But not all of them have the ability to remain in flight for long. The pigeons that seem to be potential candidates for races are trained by the owners. Doudavals can be identified by closely observing their eyes, colour and shape. Likewise, the age of the pigeons can be determined by examining the feathers and beaks. The birds are trained only after they become two months old. There is no specific age for the participant pigeon; rather its performance in the race is the prime criterion.
The pigeons used for races are pampered with a protein-rich diet comprising soaked ragi, peas and almonds to increase the stamina. "But the pigeons should never be over fed, as it would lead to problems in digestion," cautions Siyage.
Most pigeon enthusiasts have had pigeons as pets since their childhood. Another pigeon enthusiast, N. S. Sasikumar, businessman, says that he used to rear pigeons during his schooldays and used to sell them too. "Now, I have several varieties of pigeons, including the fancy ones and those that are used for races alone. You have to spend several hours to look after the birds. You need to care for them the way you would for your child," says Sasikumar. "The birds are very intelligent and know that in a race they have to fly for long hours."
Sixty-year-old N. Raveendran has been rearing pigeons since he was 10. Says Raveendran: "The pigeons are prone to several diseases such as piles, dryness in the digestive tract that make it difficult for the bird to eat its food and tumours." Only by examining the bird and observing its habit can such illnesses be detected. "Once the diseases is detected, herbs are given as medication," says the veteran pigeon rearer.
The races have their flip side too. The pigeons are made to undergo strenuous training. "A bird that weighs between 400 to 450 grams before a race, would weigh only 150 to 200 grams on its returns to the ground. Some birds even drop down dead during the race," Fr. Edison adds.
The ongoing race will conclude in the first week of August. A pair of pigeons at Palakkad has made a record of sorts. These pigeons, owned by Lal, who runs a lodge in Palakkad town, logged 20 hours and 58 minutes. The world record, says Siyage, is that of 23 hours and the pigeons that emerged winner in the race belong to Nepal.
Despite the highs and lows of racing what brings these enthusiasts together is their love for the sport and the birds. Three cheers for their sporting spirit!
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To catch a pigeon
VERY OFTEN, pigeon fanciers devise their own ways to catch pigeons. Ask them what is the easiest way to catch these birds and they will tell you to make a tame pigeon fly around. Before you begin to think these pigeon fanciers have gone bonkers, allow us to enlighten you on the subject. Generally, pigeons fly down the moment they spot one of their feathered kin. The best bet would be to use chackarakku, a sticky gum like substance found in jackfruits. Wild pigeons are usually caught by using chackarakku.
You would require - a liberal amount of chackarakku, a few midribs of the coconut leaf (irkili), some green gram (Psst! You need to have loads of patience). Tie up the irkili with a string, apply the gum and sprinkle some green gram over them.
We didn't tell you why you need to use green gram did we? Well, pigeons love green gram. When you spot some pigeons on your terrace or courtyard, set the trap and make yourself scarce. As soon as the pigeons spot the gram (pigeons have a good eyesight and can see quite well, even from a distance of 40 km) they will swoop down to eat the green gram. Viola, the pigeons are all yours. There's an even better way to catch pigeons (the most widely practised method). Apply some gum on the stem of the palm leaves and sprinkle a fistful of green gram on the ground. The moment the pigeons fly down to eat the grains, rub the gum on the feathers. The feathers will stick together and the birds will be unable to fly.
Clip the feathers to prevent the birds from flying away. To remove the sticky gum from the feet and feathers of the pigeons, you would need some oil. Dip a piece of cloth in oil (preferably turpentine) and rub it on the pigeon's legs and feathers. Once you have cleaned up the birds you can put it in a cage. Anil Kumar, Class X student, rears pigeons. Says Anil: "They will become tame in two to three weeks time, provided you take good care of it."
Often, the pigeons fly back to their first owner. Arun advises that the pigeons should be given time to get used to the cage and the new owner. Its wings should be clipped and once it becomes familiar to its cage, it could be taken out and allowed to fly around.
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Racing rules
YOU HAVE to be a member of the National Pigeon Fliers' Association to enter your pigeons in the racing competitions.
The Association demands that the pigeon enthusiasts abide by certain rules during the race. Each person has to fly two pigeons at a time between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Prior to the race, the referee stamps a seal on the pigeon's tail and the bird is then let free. The referee notes the time of take off and landing. During daytime, the participant or his assistant should show the birds in flight to the referee, after every hour. After sunset, one or more halogen lamps - directed to the sky - are switched on to enable the bird to see clearly. Since the birds are well trained to fly in the dark, they continue to remain in flight. After sunset, the referee should be shown the bird every 15 minutes. The time when the second bird lands is considered as the final time and the total time of flight is calculated and the winner declared on this basis.
Following attack by predators such as kites or eagles, or during rains or electricity failure the pigeons are given a second chance to enter the race on another day. The prize for the competition consists of cash awards and certificates. If the pigeons fly for a minimum of 13 hours, a certificate of merit is issued to its owner.
BINU JOHNSON
Photos: S. Gopakumar
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