The surprisingly endearing world of pigeon racing

Meet these burly men and their pet pigeons

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Homing pigeons are released.
Maurice Letellier releases his racing pigeons from boxes stored on the flatbed of his truck near Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)But that changed in the spring of 2011 when Tanner spent a month with a group of pigeon racers in coastal Maine."You meet these guys, and you're meeting their friends, and all)

Marcel Letellier holds a racing pigeon in his hand in Biddeford, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner))

Jim Peck sits in front of his pigeon racing and turkey hunting trophies in his living room in Saco, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)The pigeon racers are part of the Biddeford Racing Club. They are a small group of older men who had spent their lives working outdoors all around Maine. They had grown up rac)

Maurice Letellier holds a pigeon chick in his coop, immediately after it hatched from its egg in Biddeford, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner))

A pigeon is sold at auction in southern Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)Pigeon racing relies on the natural abilities of the Racing Homer — a breed of domestic pigeon that has speed and enhanced homing instincts compared to other domestic pigeons.)

Pigeons are selected, tagged, and placed into holding boxes before they are shipped by truck to the take-off point and released. Biddeford, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)The sport dates back to the late 1800s, after homing pigeons were imported from Europe. The first official racing club was formed in 1872, with the larger umbrella organizatio)

A painting of a racing pigeon hangs on a wall in Maurice Letellier's house in Biddeford, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)Tanner got the chance to watch several Sunday race days. On one of those days, all the birds were trucked up to a location 150 miles away and released at dawn. The distance wa)

A racing pigeon completes its journey back to its coop on race day in Saco, Maine. Spring 2011.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner))

A coop in Jim Peck's backyard.
(Image credit: (Nicolas Tanner)**To see more of Nicolas Tanner's work, check out his website or follow him on Instagram.**)

Lauren Hansen
Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.