It is a smoggy April morning in Signature Bridge, Delhi. Three men unshackle 26 trained homing pigeons kept in two rectangular cages on an empty ground. Two more men hold a banner that says Karnataka Homing Pigeon Federation in English and Kannada. As both the cages are simultaneously opened, the birds slowly walk out, flap their wings hard, and take off. From this starting point, where they have never been before, they need to find their way back to their respective lofts, over 1,500 kilometres away. Once they reach their destinations, the distance and velocity of the birds are measured to determine the winner of the race.
Among the participants is Red Rocket, a three-year-old grey-headed pigeon with a white-and-brown plume. Like his competitors, he, too, bears a red seal on his wings and two rubber bands on his legs with concealed numbers for identification. After nine days of flight, on April 24, 2022, the pigeon reaches his loft at the terrace of Shanker V’s residence in Hennur Gardens, Bengaluru. Shanker, a pigeon fancier, immediately removes the bands from his bird’s legs to reveal the identification number. He then clicks a photo and WhatsApps it to the organisers, who, after verifying the numbers, measure the distance the pigeon has covered and the velocity of its flight.
Red Rocket, they announce, has flown 1,741 kilometres at 251 metres per minute, making him the winner. The pigeon had never been this far from his nest. Yet, quite amazingly, he does what he always has: find his way back home.
