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 ...

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 ...

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.