By Leon Lam

What makes a wing depends on the application of the bird

There are many wing theories and I am not here to discredit others opinions

I am only sharing my ideas and hope that it can add value

Without getting into scientific terms these are my thoughts

Gliders

Some birds are gliders so their wings are longer and feathers are design to suit that length

These birds are only good for gliding and cannot develop great speeds unless the wind suits

For example an albatross or sea gull

The birds body is smaller in relation to its wing

The body to wing ratio is indeed a factor that determines flight

Soaring wing

As you can see below an eagle for example has a soaring wing design to keep gliding for hours and fly at rapid speed

These birds are rather large in body with long wingspan

A wedge tail eagle can have a combine wingspan of 3 metres

Birds of prey are one of the fastest birds in the air and can prey on our beloved pigeons

Rapid Wing/high speed

This is where our pigeons fit in

Over the years we pigeon flyers have develop from racing selection the ideal wing for sprinting and long distance

This is not taking into account a birds muscles heart or will power and fitness level

As you can see below a long distance pigeon

We have the primary and secondary flights

I like to see the last 6 primary flights to have a bigger step from the rest with the last 3 primary flights to be almost the same length

The primary feathers needs to be long thin flights and curved down slightly.

The feathers of a pigeon must be in good condition and no uneven growth or dryness.

The feathers underneath must be complete and tight and no gaps so as to allow for flight

A healthy pigeon should have nice tight feathering and when they come together the tiny barbs like hooks should keep the 2 feathers together quite nicely

A short distance pigeon

Should have less step between the primary and secondary flights

The last 3 primaries are still longer but not as long compared to a long distance wing.

The feathers are generally more broader and theres a noticeable shorter length in the wing

This a general evaluation

A pigeons wing needs to be in proportion to its body to wing ratio

No point having a racing pigeon with a large body and small wing

I like to see in the wing from secondary to primary a 1:2 ratio wing and strong muscles that support it

This is only a theory and there are pigeons that don’t fit this criteria and still fly well

For any pigeons to reach its full potential it has to be healthy and the key to good feathers is good feeding .

The right amounts of water,proteins ,carbohydrates minerals etc and access to sun light plus correct amounts of exercise.

With the ability to beat its wings up to ten times per second, and maintain a heart rate of 600 beats per minute for up to 16-hours without rest, the racing pigeon is the unequalled athlete of the air.

Thats amazing 36,000 beats in 1 hour.

Most birds will fly at a comfortable flying rate and even though they are racing may not keep up with the leaders in a race.

Our aim is to breed and train our pigeons to fly at a faster rate and be amongst the leaders and win.

Thanks for reading!