Reading the latest issue of Birder’s World, I came upon a ‘Birding Brief’ which left me very sad, but mostly angry:

Recently it was discovered that pigeon enthusiasts in various states (CA, OR, TX, WA, WI, NY, and more) were killing various hawks and other raptors (Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon) so that a specially bred pigeon could fly unharmed. The pigeon is one that typically “Rolls” or summersaults in flight, which the enthusiasts believe make it appear sick or wounded to birds of prey, and thus a target. Killing thousands of raptors to protect their beloved pigeon the enthusiasts often bragged about it and even informed others to “shoot, shovel, and shut up”. A sad sad story. 

The full article can be found here.