When we humans have time off, some birds go to work.  In this video from Odolanów, Poland, hundreds of racing pigeons start on a race.

Racing pigeons are rock pigeons (Columba livia) specially bred and specially fed to be fast and athletic.  Their owners know the birds must be fit and healthy to win.  They take really good care of their birds.

On race day the pigeons are trucked to a central starting point and released to fly home.  The trucks are specially designed to carry the birds and release them simultaneously.  Race officials note the start time for each group and stagger the releases so the birds have enough space to circle up, get their bearings, and leave.  As they circle, each pigeon figures out where home is — and then flies as fast as he can to get there.

How do they determine which bird wins?  Race officials note the time the bird was released.  The bird wears a band that’s electronically read when he arrives at the loft and notes his finish time. The racing organization calculates the distance from the release point to the loft.  The fastest bird in miles/kilometers per hour is the winner. Ta dah!

For more information on pigeon racing, click here.

(video from YouTube)