Weird! Pigeon Breeders Kill Raptors for “Sport”

Ok. This story caught me completely by surprise. It seems there are people who breed pigeons called roller pigeons to

“carry a genetic trait that causes them to stop flying and tumble in the air before righting themselves and carrying on. These “roller pigeons” are flown in competitions and scored by judges who rate the birds on the quality of the “roll” and other factors. Of course, the pigeon rolling through the air looks like crippled and vulnerable prey to a hawk, falcon, or other bird of prey. Many of these pigeon enthusiasts have been routinely killing raptors in an attempt to protect their roller pigeons.”

I got this from an Audubon Society alert. Even though the issue was first raised almost a year ago, these “hobbyists” are still killing raptors.