Conservationists and Racing Pigeon Community in Bulgaria Join Efforts to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict

In a groundbreaking step towards mitigating human-wildlife conflict, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and Bulgaria’s pigeon fancier community have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering cooperation and reducing tensions between racing pigeon enthusiasts and birds of prey.

Birds of prey, such as falcons and hawks, are often at the center of human-wildlife conflict due to their natural predation on valuable species, including domesticated racing pigeons. These pigeons, prized for their endurance and speed, participate in endurance flights lasting from several hours to nearly a full day (as with tipplers and highflyers), and speed races covering distances from 100 to over 1,000 kilometers (homing pigeons). The emotional bond between pigeon fanciers and their birds, combined with the significant economic value of high-quality racing pigeons —sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of euros — intensifies this conflict. In Bulgaria, a single prized pigeon can be worth tens of thousands of euros.

Despite the pigeon sport popularity, the racing pigeon community faces the challenge of high mortality rates among their birds, particularly during racing season. While various factors contribute to these losses, many fanciers view birds of prey as the primary threat (see this report), leading, in some cases, to illegal killings of protected raptors. Recognizing the critical need for collaboration, BSPB, through its LIFE for Falcons project, has identified working closely with pigeon fanciers as essential for the long-term conservation of the Saker Falcon and other birds of prey in Bulgaria.

In 2023 and 2024, the LIFE for Falcons project team launched an anti-poisoning awareness campaign and organized a series of communication seminars with pigeon fanciers. These efforts led to the establishment of local anti-poison networks, comprising over 50 pigeon fanciers across key project areas. This initiative fostered increased trust and goodwill for future collaboration. As result, the BSPB signed MoU with the Bulgarian Racing Pigeon Association (consisting of 53 local clubs around the country),  the Bulgarian Racing Pigeon Federation (consisting of 35 local clubs), the Bulgarian Highflier Federation (consisting of 35 local clubs), the National
Tippler Club Bulgaria, and five additional local clubs in areas where closer collaboration was deemed necessary. Together, these groups represent about 90% of the formal organizations involved in the competitions with flying pigeons (highfliers and homers) in Bulgaria.

Through this partnership, the signatories have committed to joint efforts in reducing the conflict between pigeon fanciers and birds of prey, contributing to more successful biodiversity conservation in Bulgaria. BSPB aims to use this platform to promote and share best practices for minimizing pigeon losses while ensuring the protection of raptors, creating win-win solutions for both wildlife and domestic pigeon breeders.






Photos: Stoian Nikolov/BSPB