Windsor pigeon racers set to mark the 2022 season, bringing birds as far as 600 km away

Carlo Bertolissio and his birds are getting ready for a busy pigeon race season, set to start this weekend in southwestern Ontario. 

The Windsorite keeps pigeon coops in his backyard — a hobby he's enjoyed since he was a kid. 

"At that time, when I was in grade school, half the guys in class had pigeons it was just the way it was ... every second house had a pigeon loft," said Bertolissio. 

"It's a sport that requires a lot of work, and it requires a lot of ambition."

Bertolissio is also part of the Windsor Racing Pigeon Club, which has a long history in the city, dating back to 1927.

While the group has dwindled over the years to only about 15 current members, they still look forward the the racing season each year. 

Bertolissio and his fellow racers will drop off their pigeons at the Windsor Sportsmen's Club this weekend. From there, someone will drive the birds kilometres away. The races happen incrementally throughout the summer starting at 150 kilometres away from Windsor.

Using their natural homing abilities, the birds find their way home from as far away as 600 kilometres when competing in the races.

Bertolissio said some people can be critical of the sport, but he said birds are free to leave whenever but most choose to return to their coops. 

"They're released every morning and every night to exercise, and they're free to go," he says, explaining the birds usually go to fields during the day. 

"They stay on their own free will."

Robbie Taylor of Amherstburg, Ont., has also enjoyed the sport after learning from his uncle how to raise the birds. 

"I started flying with him back in 2009," he said, adding that he also got his girlfriend interested in pigeon racing. 

Taylor also finds it amazing how the birds are able to make their way back home.