It’s 5:45 in the morning. The world still sleeps. Only the soft rhythm of beating wings breaks the silence above the yard. Out of the misty dawn they come – my young team – cutting through the dim light like rockets. No sun yet, no warmth, but they know: it’s time. That, my friends, is the power of the racing pigeon’s biological clock.
The rhythm of nature – and of champions
Every pigeon lives by the rhythm of light and darkness. It’s not just in their eyes; it’s wired deep inside their brain. A pigeon literally feels when the day begins. As the first ray of sunlight hits the horizon, the sleep hormone melatonin drops, adrenaline surges, and their body shouts one word: Fly!
A pigeon that lives according to its natural rhythm performs at its peak – physically, mentally, hormonally. During the day: full power. At night: complete recovery. But disrupt that rhythm – leave the lights on too late, or train at random hours – and you’ll see it instantly. The bird loses sharpness, orientation falters, and its focus vanishes. A pigeon without rhythm is like a champion with jet lag: the talent’s still there, but the performance isn’t.
The sun as their compass
Our pigeons don’t just fly — they navigate by the sun. Yes, really. A racing pigeon uses the sun’s position as a compass. But that only works if its internal clock is perfectly aligned with the movement of the sun. Shift that inner timing – for instance, by keeping the bird under artificial light – and you’ll literally shift its flight path.
Scientific experiments confirm it: when researchers deliberately “reset” a pigeon’s biological clock by several hours, the bird flies exactly the same amount off course. Six hours’ difference on the clock means six hours’ error in flight direction. The science proves what every seasoned fancier already knows: routine is everything.
The power of dawn
And then there’s that magical dawn moment – when champions separate themselves from the rest. People often say, “Pigeons don’t fly in the dark.” True. But just before sunrise? That’s their moment. Their biology screams, “Go home.” And they do. The top birds from Barcelona or Perpignan aren’t clocked at 5:12 or 5:28 by coincidence. Those are the birds that were already in the air at first light. They’ve learned that light equals action. No hesitation, no waiting – just go.
That’s why I, the Pigeon Boss, often train my birds at dawn. The world is quiet, the air cool, the mind clear. No distractions, no noise – just the pigeons, the sky, and their biological rhythm.
At first, they’re a bit uncertain. But after a few sessions? They explode into the sky. And on race day, the difference is clear: while others are still stretching and yawning, my pigeons are already miles ahead.
Melatonin – the secret weapon of the night
At night, something magical happens inside a pigeon’s body. It recharges. Melatonin floods their system, repairing muscles, calming the heart, and resetting everything for the next day.
Switch on a light in the middle of the night, and you break that process in an instant. The melatonin stops, the body loses balance, and you’ll see it later in condition, feather quality, and orientation.
I’ve said it for years: the night is sacred. Give your pigeons real darkness, true rest, and you’ll earn something no supplement can buy — biological perfection.
What you can do as a fancier
Here’s the Boss formula — simple but golden:
Darkness is sacred: give your pigeons true night. No lights, no glow, no noise. That’s when melatonin works its magic.
Keep a strict schedule: feed, train, and care for your pigeons at the same times every day. Their clock loves predictability.
Train early, gain early: once in a while, release them at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. when weather allows. They’ll learn confidence in low light and start strong.
Use the sun as motivation: open the loft to natural light at sunrise. That first light wakes their system and boosts drive.
Pigeons that live in sync with light and dark fly sharper, orient faster, and recover stronger. And on race day? They’ll be the first to feel that the day has begun.
Let the others sleep — your birds are already on their way to glory.
The Pigeon Boss says:
Train your pigeons with the sun, and you’ll never have to chase success again. The clock ticks, the sun rises — and your team leads the race.
Until the next tip,
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss