ANTIOCH — Fred Belus casts his gaze skyward at a flock of racing pigeons circling above his backyard. Fit and sleek, they circle a few times before a distinct whistle from Belus brings his flock back ...

In a pigeon coop in a suburban Queensland backyard, you'll find birds, feed, bedding — and two girls. For cousins Hayley Kruger, 12, and Elyn Andreasen, nine, this is their slice of paradise. Hayley ...

For the uninitiated the world of the pigeon fancier conjures up an image of an old man in a flat cap, with the sport of racing the birds perhaps considered a pursuit for those of a certain vintage.

Eagles are majestic. Doves are romantic. Pigeons, with their tatty wings and street-living ways, are seen by many folks as dumb and dirty, referred to as the “rats of the sky.” But if you ever met a ...