The Annual Animals in War Remembrance Gathering took place on Friday 7th November at the memorial at Brook Gate, Park Lane, London, with over 40 organisations in attendance. Les Blacklock and his wife Meryl represented the RPRA. After the initial minute’s silence, Mike Armitage, RPRA member of Animals in War, liberated 2 pigeons. Then several […]
Flying Racing Pigeons (Columbiformes) The government’s rules on how to manage racing pigeons during a bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak can be seen here. For racing, you must apply for a general licence to gather your pigeons together at a club headquarters from the local APHA. If you are in a 3km protection zone or […]
Up-to-date versions of both the UK and Continental liberation site maps, showing major airports and sites with airfield restrictions in the UK, are available to download by clicking on the appropriate image below. A3 size printed versions of these maps may be obtained free of charge from RPRA HQ by sending a large stamped addressed […]
We are always on the lookout for new liberation sites, where money is paid for the use of open spaces for releasing pigeons. We need an open aspect with no obstructions, and space to park a number of vehicles. If you can offer 24-hour access and permit overnight stays, then so much the better. The […]
Use our new ring verification tool to confirm which loft number a particular GB ring is registered to. Enter your own loft number (or organisation number in the case of a Secretary) in the first box, and the ring to be checked in the fields below. When you press submit, the loft number to which […]
A third method of plotting your loft location was approved by the RPRA Council at the Annual General Meeting in 2023. As used in applying for a CPH number, Defra’s Magic Map may also now be used to map your loft in either OS Colour Mapping or Aerial Photography modes. In the same way as […]
To reduce our overheads, the RPRA and the BHW utilises second class postage via Royal Mail. Ofcom has recently announced reforms to the Universal Service that will allow Royal Mail to reduce the frequency of second-class post deliveries. In its statement on 10th July, the regulator said the changes are designed to give postal users […]
Following a detailed consultation and procedural review between Guernsey Ports and the Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA), with the support of the Office of the Director of Civil Aviation (Channel Islands) (ODCA), we are pleased to announce that a limited number of pigeon liberations will now be permitted from the island of Guernsey. This agreement […]
We have a new joint RPRA/BHW telephone system in place. Anyone dialling the RPRA or BHW telephone numbers will automatically be directed to this new joint menu system. The diagram below shows the further options available to enable you to reach the correct department:
Please note that with immediate effect, Defra has suspended Virkon S from its approved list of disinfectants. We will report further on this as news develops. A list of alternative approved disinfectants is below.
December 2nd, 2025
December 1st, 2025
December 1st, 2025
