By: Bryan Watts
7/9/2026

In the spring of 2016 while banding a brood of peregrines on the James River Bridge, I picked up a pigeon band from the nest box and put it into my pocket.  Pigeon bands are not issued by the Bird Banding Lab of USGS.  Various pigeon racing organizations in the United States issue these coded bands and have a website where you can track the owner.  After a short period, I located the owner of this band in Smithfield, VA and sent him an e-mail to let him know what had happened to his bird.  He was very gracious and indicated that he maintained a flock of white pigeons and provided a wedding service.  He releases a flock of white pigeons and they home back to his coup in Smithfield.  He had done a wedding recently in Newport News and this particular bird had failed to return home.  Our assumption in discussing the day was that the bird was released and taken by the male falcon as it crossed the river near the bridge.

Collection of homing pigeon bands from peregrine falcon nest boxes in Virginia. Photo by Bryan Watts.

Since the white pigeon incident, I have collected pigeon bands from falcon boxes as I am able and have tried to contact their owners when possible.  All of the pigeon bands I have collected have been from urban or inland sites.  They have been from a wide range of areas, and I have learned more about just how popular the sport of pigeon keeping and racing is today.  Most owners were surprised when notified that their bird ended up as falcon food.  None have been upset by the news.  In our Virginia population, pigeons seem to be a regular but minor component of the diet.

A sample of shorebird bands and flags of those collected in falcon nest boxes along the seaside of the Delmarva Peninsula. Flags were deployed from countries throughout the annual cycle of species that stage along the Delmarva. Photo by Bryan Watts.

Pigeon band in nest of peregrine falcon in Virginia Beach. Photo by Reese Lukei, Jr.

In falcon nest boxes along the Eastern Shore, I have collected shorebird bands and flags for a few years. I have collected flags from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, United States and Canada. Both the species and band origin reflect the confluence of birds and places from throughout their annual cycle.