After the Release

Take-off

The release may involve a pause after the basket is opened while the white doves appear to consider their options. Then with a flurry of flashing wings the birds take flight. If you listen, you may hear a clapping noise from their wings. Are they applauding your ceremony?

Flight

After their release, the white doves may circle a number of times before they leave the area. During this circling, they are using many clues to "get their bearings". Our birds can navigate home from unfamiliar locations by using a number of techniques.

Birds with homing ability can fly hundreds of miles back to their home loft. Common domesticated doves, like the ring-neck or turtle dove, do not have that ability. If released, domesticated doves would have a poor chance of surviving in the wild-- especially in here in Northeast Iowa. Untrained homing pigeons will probably not survive a year in the wild. For that reason, our release birds are well-trained white homing pigeons. Our display-only birds might be white ring-neck doves.

Once oriented, the birds will head for home. They can fly 60 miles an hour, but 45 mph is typical. They often beat me home from our events.

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