Racing pigeons have been cultivated throughout history all over the world

Silvio is uniquely qualified to write on this subject of photography as he has been a specialty book publisher for almost twenty years now. When Silvio first began publishing books, very few publishers had desk top computers, good drum scanners were housed in clean rooms with raised floors and environmental controls. Books were prepared using a cut and “paste methodology” and printers had large pre-press departments. All of which is now obsolete. We now live in a digital world. If you would like to read further about book publishing please visit
http://www.silvio-co.com/publish/selfpub.htm

Figure 1 Silvio and a youngster

Jobs, jobs, jobs ...where have they all gone? Where do they continue to go? Free Trade, NAFTA ..... It seems so long ago that one slick Canadian talker, Mulroney, promised us paradise, and told us that unless we got on board, the economic train, would leave us all behind. So we got on board but it looks to me as if we were sold a one way ticket to parts unknown! A "Brave New World" (well maybe not so brave after all, maybe just a rehash of some old world ambitions)....a "New World Order" (maybe, maybe not? Possibly just the same old thing in a bright new package). Why is love of country a bad thing now ( National pride is definitely not politically correct just now) and why should we not protect our own, sponsor our own, support our own, build our own people, talents, expertise in all areas. Canadians are considerably more than "hewers of wood and drawers of water"

Let me give you a very practical example, something as simple as photography. Everyone has a camera, lots of people have digital cameras, lots of people take pictures but how many great pictures are ever taken? Not many I suspect.

Being involved in the book publishing business for almost 20 years I know that there are specialty photographers who are specific to an area of pursuit, for example "food photography" is very specialized, "aerial photography", there are studios who are renowned for their photography of "models", specialty photographers of "horses" or even "packaging" of all types. When you want a specific image, and if it is really important to your project, then you go to the best. Seems a very reasonable approach. Now if I need a great series of photos of "racing pigeons" or "show homers" or "fancy pigeons" where and to whom do I go? Yes I can hear your murmurings now. The European photographers come to North America on a regular basis. Yes I know this to be a fact and I have used these Europeans for some of my photos and I even have hot links on my site at www.silvio-co.com for these two (Peter and Henk) excellent pigeon photographers. BUT where are the CANADIANS? Must we forever import everything from Europe? We import their birds, we import their, supplements, we import their health programs, we import their teas, and pick stones, and enough is enough! Though most of our Canadian birds were originally imported from Europe we now have in Canada and the USA families of racing pigeons that are second to none in the world. If I or you or your club or your combine or federation is having a special event that could be enhanced by the presence or activities of a great pigeon photographer why must we always conform our needs, our schedules to the needs and timing of non resident specialty photographers? Well you would be right in saying that, "that is the way it is"! Yes how silly of me you are right, "that is the way it was", but happily no longer is this the situation.

I am absolutely delighted to be able to advise all of our good readers that from now on we Canadians (Americans are always welcome) have our own "MADE IN CANADA SPECIALTY PIGEON PHOTOGRAPHER". Who is this rare bird (pun intended) you will ask? Well he is first and foremost a "pigeon fancier" he eats, breaths, observes, studies and yes photographs pigeons. He is also an "Educator" who holds a BA, BEd, and MEd, whose career in education spanned 31 years twenty of which were in administration. A former teacher, vice principal, principal. During the last five years of his career he held the position of vice principal at Bathurst High School.

The bond between man and bird is very apparent in this photo of Andrew Skrobot in one of his young bird holding lofts in northern New Brunswick. We should all have this deep affection and bond with our birds but it really is much more rare today than in the past. Andrew’s birds love spending time with him and I dare say that Andrew certainly loves spending time with his birds. Close observation and trust and infinite patience is the key to great pictures.

Figure 2 Andrew and youngsters.

Here is what he had to say to me during a recent visit, "My interest in technology led me to my passion of photography using a digital camera. Rendering these digital images was an expected consequence. This interest eventually led me to introducing a graphic arts program at the high school that I taught for 3 years. Being a pigeon fancier it was only natural that my favorite subject would become the racing pigeon." I guess it really would be safe to say that you were really ahead of the curve and saw the writing on the wall as regards the direction that standard photography was then going?

Andrew continued to say, "One of my responsibilities as vice principal of Bathurst High School was overseeing the production of the yearbook. I convinced a teacher who was very technologically literate that we should do it all digitally. At that point photographs were taken using a 35 mm camera and the layouts were done cutting and pasting photographs on a sheet of paper and then this hardcopy was sent to the publisher. We worked as a team. My responsibility was to take all the homeroom, sports and other group pictures and render them for the yearbook. Her responsibility was to do the design work and create the layout using QuarkXpress. We were one of the first if not the first high school in the province to produce a year book that was sent to the publisher completely in digital format. I proudly can say that our yearbook became the standard for yearbooks in the province. I looked through many high school and university yearbooks and could not find better photographs. Even the professional photographer who had doubts that I could do it was very impressed."

Now the key to great photography is complicated, it requires many elements and in our 21^st century these elements no longer include the "cut and paste" method, though great at one time it is obsolete today. Great pictures of racing and fancy pigeons require hardware ( excellent digital camera, high end powerful graphics computer) excellent software (including Quark and Photoshop) but in addition to these and even more important it requires the love of, understanding of, the patience for pigeons and how they should ideally look. To this end here is what our Canadian specialty pigeon photographer has to say, "In conclusion I must say that I enjoy all facets of the sport. However, my greatest satisfaction comes from photographing racing pigeons and rendering the photographs to make the bird look the best it can be. My goal is to become the best at this."

In the past I have paid for the best, have never quibbled about price and I carted my birds to different basements, halls, combine events and waited in line for my turn to have my pigeons photographed. Thankfully from now on this will no longer be the case. Our own Canadian from Northern New Brunswick Andrew Skrobot has proven to me that he has what it takes to be the "very best photographer" in the world. I was so intrigued with his abilities that I arranged to have him come to Port Perry to photograph virtually every bird that I have. I am sure that I could have gotten the more famous Europeans to visit and photograph my birds but I am equally certain that I could not have gotten a more exceptional body of work from anyone in the world. To this end I have included a wide range of the photos taken by Andrew Skrobot in this article. Who knows I am so impressed with Andrews work that one day we may work on producing another "World Champions" book together!

Andrew must have known that I was a great “Eye sign” man so he sent me a photo of my “Braveheart” CU 2002- 15156 stressing the eye and its details. His composition certainly makes for a very interesting photographic image. Andrew I Think that you may have confused me with some of your other clients, remember I am the guy who was on the other side of the “eye sign” debate and had “eye sign” discussions raging in every club house in America for almost a year!

Figure3 Knowing how keen I am on eye sign here is one of the first pictures I saw Andrew do of my "Braveheart" note the unique composition plus the incredible confirmation of the pigeon. Shots of this quality take great patience and dedication. Look closely at the feet of every picture in this article, you will notice that the feet are all there, not cropped or cut badly as I have so often seen.

Figure 4 Final Picture of "Braveheart" before he was exported to Taiwan. Note the stance, the clarity of color and the detailed overall composition of this photo. The background is most appropriate as it is the New Brunswick wilderness that "Braveheart "flew seven races over. This is the type of image I believe you are entitled to and should get when you pay a professional to take a photo of your Champion.

Figure5 Who wouldn't fall in love with this exceptional hen purchased by Andrew Skrobot at the 2002 Alberta Classic and bred by Silvio Mattacchione. Look closely at the detail and the color rendition, the confirmation and stance have been captured and the photo actually speaks to you of the inner qualities an intensely inbred Spanjaards hen.

The preparation of images or photographs for book printing using the photolithographic method is quite different from the preparation of photos for printing on color printers. Essentially if you are going to be taking photos for eventual use in a book please note these observations that we advise all of our clients of. These observations will end up saving you time, effort, and ultimately a lot of money.

If you are submitting digital images on disk please note the following requirements:

TIF ONLY
All photo images must be prepared as TIF files only please - do not submit anything other than TIF! Make especially sure that they have been scanned appropriately as regards the highlight and shadow areas (generally, a 3% dot in the Highlight [light] areas of the photo and 90% dot in the Shadow [dark] areas of the photo). Without the appropriate values being adhered to, you will fail to achieve the image quality and color quality that we desire!

For color reproduction, photos must be 300 dpi at the actual size that they are intended to be printed in the book and saved in CMYK format (not RGB). For example if the introduction has a color photo that is 6 inches tall, then at 6 inches tall, the image must be 300 dpi. This also applies to black and white photos. Low dpi will result in poor printed picture quality.

For line drawings we require 600 dpi at actual printed size.

The ‘dpi’ (dots per square inch) rating allows us to print at a particular line screen. Therefore, if the printer uses 150 line screen the minimum dpi must be 300 DPI. If the printer uses 175 line screen, then the minimum dpi must be 350 dpi. Etc.

Now the above referenced details are applicable only if you are working on creating books, literature, packaging and all other like materials of high quality. When you are preparing photos for use on the internet, for pedigree programs and for output great photos to be framed and hung, a slightly different set of specifications apply because in fact it is a different process.

So what we need are in fact are hard earned trade secrets. Well Andrew can you in 50 words or less give me all of your secrets, all of your little hints (boy talk about asking for the moon)? Bingo, add generous and humanitarian to great photographer, Andrew was more than happy to share his hard learned know how!

Here is what he had to say: "

"I am trying to make the instructions as simple as possible. But these are some of the area where most people have difficulty with if they do not understand resolution."

ANDREW CAN I TAKE MY OWN PHOTO AND SEND IT TO YOU TO WORK YOUR MAGIC ON?

Dear reader I knew you would ask this question so I posed it for you in advance. Andrew Skrobot is actually preparing a special section on his web site for your education and convenience. You can take your own photos and email the jpegs to Andrew directly and he will work magic for you (and all at a reasonable cost that is very competitive with the regular prices from the European photographers). So whether you are in Alaska or Taipei, Bangkok or Toronto, Durban of Rome, Grave or Chicago, St. Augustine or the North Pole Andrew will be able to help you present your pigeons in the best possible fashion. Sounds too good to be true well take a look at these before and after photos. All sent by email!

Figure 6This is the before photo taken by a fancier in British Columbia and emailed to Andrew Skrobot of Bathurst, New Brunswick to see how he could enhance it. The color of this bird is washed out looking, its feet are dirty and it is also molting. All in just a really average photo. Also note the droppings. This is not how you want to remember your Champion. Remember all done by email.

Figure7 This is the After photo. This is the same pigeon above illustrated but after it has had its feet cleaned up, droppings removed, color rebalanced, image sharpened. Design and compositional elements added. Remember all this is done by email at the same cost as you would expect to pay from a photographer who comes in from Europe. This is a truly incredible service that is now being offered by the exceptional Canadian photographer Andrew Skrobot.

Andrew Skrobot advises that you can make use of this unique service by forwarding to him jpegs to eskroban@nbnet.nb.ca and you can visit Andrew at his internet site at

http://www.tourdesmaritimes.com/Photography/Photography.htm

Well how about an instant replay of this before and after miracle. This time a checker hen heavy in the molt, yet you have no time to waste waiting for it to molt out because you have a buyer in Japan who really wants to see a great photo now. There is a lot of money at stake so what do I do. Well do what I am doing just call Andrew and mail him your average photo! Then sit back and watch the magic of our new digital world happen.

Remember that all photos should be forwarded in jpeg format and around 1 Meg size.

Figure 8 THE BEFORE photo is not very impressive this pigeon has campaigned hard. It is heavy into the molt, its feathers in this photo look washed out. Generally you know that this photo will not inspire or thrill your Japanese buyer or anyone else for that matter. It's not the bird's fault it's just the wrong time of year. What do I do now?

Figure 9 The AFTER photo. You can see that we have carefully taken this checker through the molt, cleaned her feathering, and sharpened her color. This is exactly the way this pigeon would look after her molt if the picture was taken by an expert photographer . Andrew Skrobot has done an exceptional job.

I look at these before and after photos and am blown away at what can now be done by photographers like Andrew Skrobot. His email "BEFORE AND AFTERT" email photographic service is unique a "MADE IN CANADA FIRST"!

SETTINGS

"When photographing birds I always assume that I will use the photograph eventually for printing a hard copy so I set the camera at the highest resolution possible. This setting on most cameras is called "fine".

Digital cameras have other settings called normal and basic. These lower settings limit print size because there are not enough pixels for a high-resolution picture."

Figure 10 I think that you will agree that these photos are of exceptional quality. Andrew Skrobot really has a way of bringing out the inner qualities of exceptional pigeons. You do not have to be a recognized Champion to have an exceptional photo taken of your favorite birds.

PHOTOGRAPH SIZE

"For example using the fine setting the photograph size will be for a:

4 megapixel camera - 2200 x 1700 pixels (28" x 21") at 72 dpi

3 megapixel camera - 2048 x 1536 pixels (32 x 24") at 72 dpi

Both 3 & 4 megapixel camera will print an excellent 8 x 10 photo after resizing. A 2 megapixel camera will produce a good 5 x 7 photo for printing. All these cameras will take excellent pictures for the internet."

Figure 11 Bill "pumpkin" Madore of Glace Bay had Andrew Skrobot photograph his long distance champion "Hurricane". He has won several long distance races from Quebec City to Glace Bay, Cape Breton. Andrew Skrobot has again captured the character and determination of this great Canadian Long Distance Champion.

RESIZED

"When resized to an 8 x 10 the 4 megapixel photo will have a resolution of 225 dpi and a 3 megapixel photo will have a resolution of 205 dpi. Normally the higher the resolution the better the quality of the picture. Kodak recommends a resolution of 225. However, for the internet photos are always at a resolution of 72 dpi.

The lowest setting "basic" is used mainly for emailing photos that will only be viewed on the monitor.

Do not resize a digital photo larger. This will affect the quality of the picture. Some enlarging (10 to 20%) can be done, but I will do that if necessary."

SCANNING

"If scanning a photo follow these steps. Set the scanner at a minimum resolution of 225 and set the dimensions to the size required. Select the bird - remember you are scanning the bird not the picture."

ANDREWS TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS

Camera settings

Most modern digital cameras have an excellent automatic mode that will automatically adjust to the conditions. I normally set the flash to go off all the time.

Figure 12 The breeders of this exceptional pigeon are the well known team of Radoman/V. Jagt's. I am sure that they will hang this photo with great pride an exceptional pigeon photographed by an exceptional photographer.

Preparing the bird

1. Wash the feet of all debris. Washing the legs and feet will make them redder. Clean the toenails and beak. If any feathers are dirty clean them off with a wet rag and then put the bird in the basket for 30 minutes to settle it down. Some birds hate to get their feet washed and will struggle in your hand therefore ruffling the feathers. Photos taken in the winter (December & later in my area) when the birds are completely molted out produce the best pictures.

2. Before putting the bird in the photo box, hold the bird in your hand for a few minutes. While doing so stroke the bird towards the back gently. This will calm the bird and reposition the body feathers to lay firmly against the body. Make sure the cover feathers on the shoulder are arranged correctly. Nervous birds often struggle in the hand and their feathers will often be out of place or ruffled.

3. When placing the bird in the photo box consider which way you want the bird facing for the photo. Photos can be flipped horizontally but it will make the band appear on the opposite foot and the band numbers will be inverted like on the hood of an ambulance. However this is usually not noticed and of no major consequence to the picture.

Often times we have very old photos in our files of great old champions can we do anything with these old timers Andrew? I think you will agree that as they say a before and after photo is worth a thousand words! Take a good look at what was done to this old image.

Figure 13 this is a BEFORE Photo an old and a very important Foundation pair that belonged to Tom Mackowecki purchased by him from Jules Gallez. Andrew describes how the certificates were a real challenge!

Figure 14 After Photo notice the certificates, the new background the sharpened color of the birds as well as the feathering. An important old photo made new again by photographer Andrew Skrobot.

Taking the photo

1) I use a photo box that measures 16" x 24" x 16". A nest box will do fine. A spotlight would be useful but not necessary. I use two 60 watt bulbs fastened to the top front of the photo box. A tripod is also recommended but not necessary.

2) Remember "patience is a virtue" - you will need it. Taking a good photo is all about "profile". The bird should face to the right or left and be perpendicular to the camera. Some birds are naturally photogenic and will give you the perfect profile. Most will have to be prodded into position. An 18" dowel is very useful for this purpose. Before shooting these are some things to look for.

Figure 15 Named after a wild New Brunswick river "Restigouche red" is one of Andrew Skrobot's foundation sires.

a) Camera should be perpendicular to the upper shoulder of the bird. I shoot from a distance of about 18". Turn all lights off behind you. The darker behind you the better because the bird will tend not to want to leave the box.

b) Use the monitor on the camera and zoom in or move in to the point where the bird fills most of the monitor.

c) When placing the bird in the box make sure that the wing tips are sitting on the tail. The first thing the birds will do is leave a dropping. It is advisable to pick it up because most of the time they will eventually step in it.

d) Both feet should be side by side and the tail slightly down.

e) The bird should be facing to the right or left and standing in a fairly upright position. Using the dowel coax the bird in to position. By stroking the bird under the beak and gently lifting the head will help. Most birds hate this procedure and will shake their head when touched with the dowel.

f) Click away. Usually it will take several photos before you get the right one.

Figure 16 "Silverado" is a super late bred cock , bred by Andrew Skrobot ,that bred the 2nd place overall winner in the "2003 Le Tour " series in New Brunswick.

Once again, I remind you that "patience is a virtue". You will need it.

Quite often we would like to give our pigeon friend's unique and often funny pictures that show how much we care for their friendship so if this is ever the case Andrew Skrobot can also help you as this example shows so clearly. A long time friend and fellow teacher of Andrew who taught motor mechanics got this photo when he retired.

Figure 17 Great gift idea for your pigeon friends. This is just one example of what Andrew Skrobot can do in this area.

Figure 18 A beautiful hen purchased at the Le Tour auction on Dr. Franks site at the Alberta Classic.

I have many, many more photos that I could use to further describe the photographic talent of this exceptional pigeon photographer but I think you get the picture. You can email Andrew Skrobot directly to take advantage of his unique email photo service by forwarding to him jpegs to eskroban@nbnet.nb.ca and you can visit Andrew at his internet site at http://www.tourdesmaritimes.com/Photography/Photography.htm

.It is also very important to note that when Andrew Skrobot takes your photos for you he gives you several full color hard copies as follows: 1- 8 X 10 inch , 6 - 4X 6 inch plus you get all of the images on a permanent CD with the images optimized for your web site, or you can take the supplied disk to a local photo processor who can then make you as many hard copies as you may wish. All in all a truly great service for only $30.00 US or $45.00 Canadian. If you are having an event you might want to contact him to be there as your events official photographer .Either way for my money I will no longer be using imported photographic talent but will support our very own "Made in Canada Pigeon Photographer" Mr. Andrew Skrobot. I invite all North Americans to do the same after all nothing is more important than quality, service and price and in all of these categories Andrew Skrobot for my money is ahead of the pack! No bout you are all asking who won the "2003 Le Tour" series race well here is the photo of the Champion taken by Andrew!

Figure 19 Great bird entered by Pat Spelliscy ,who deserved his fine win at Le Tour 2003 as of this writing the auction has not yet closed so it is not known who will rescue this pigeon and take it home as a potential future Champion. Good luck to all you bidders.

Yes I can hear you all now complaining that I have avoided the most necessary of all items and that is the "EYE SIGN PHOTOS"? Well here we go photographing the eye made easy now by Andrew Skrobot!

PHOTOGRAPHING THE EYE

How did you learn to photograph the eye?

I have learned how to photograph the eye by a lot of experimentation and a lot of trial and error. Some would call it guess and test. In my case it is a lot of guessing, testing and mostly error.

Did you experiment with many different cameras?

I have experimented with several digital cameras since 1998. First, I began using a Kodak 290 with no macro mode and had to buy close-up lenses for it. Shortly after I tried an Olympus 3030 Zoom with a macro mode but the macro mode would only allow photos to be taken from 8" (20 cm) and didn't result in good close-up shots. Finally I got an Nikon Coolpix 880 to experiment with. With this camera the macro mode works within 4 cm of the object. Just recently I was fortunate to obtain a Nikon Coolpix 995 with a macro mode that allows taking photographs from as close as 2 cm. I have found that this close is not practical in photographing the pigeon eye because the sunlight is blocked out. A distance of around 5 cm and zooming in slightly is advisable. The Nikon Coolpix 995 is considered to be one of the best macro mode digital cameras available. My experience suggests this to be true. Just recently I have purchased a Coolpix 4500 and basically the only difference is that it is a 4 mega pixel camera.

What are the ideal conditions for taking the great eye photos?

In the beginning, all photographs were taken in strong sunlight around 12:00 pm. I found that under these conditions the pupil constricts the most and allows you to see the circle of correlation in its fullest detail. The photo at bottom of this page was taken on Feb 17 with the Nikon 995 when the sun is still low in the sky. These are not ideal conditions. Summer photos with a high sun seem to come out better.

Any real problems that you encountered?

There is a problem of taken photos in strong sunlight because the camera picks up the suns reflection in the pupil, circle of correlation and iris. This is especially true for birds with darker eyes. The yellow eyes seem to photograph best. I experimented with polarizing filter with no success.

Waiting for the ideal sunny conditions can be one of the most frustrating aspects of photographing the eye. Unfortunately I don't live in sunny Alberta. During the winter of 2003 I experimented with several artificial light sources and found that a 90 watt Halogen spot light worked the best. It was fixed about 6 to 8 inches away from the eye and at about 45 degrees horizontally and vertically from the eye. A swivel lamp with a clamp is ideal for this purpose. The disadvantage of using a Halogen lamp is the heat it gives off. Be careful not to hold the birds eye too long under the light. Also by covering the left side of the camera with aluminum foil it will protect the camera from overheating. The light should be turned off when not needed. The advantage of this light is it seems to give the truest eye color and very few adjustments have to be made. And it is strong enough to constrict the pupil therefore showing the details in the eye much better. Usually the photos of eye come out a little darker than the normal eye color but this can be adjusted easily. Another disadvantage is the reflection from the bulb. By manipulating the lamp the reflection will only appear in the upper left hand corner and not interfere with the most important parts of the eye. Aesthetically this is not ideal however the lamp allows you to take photos whenever it suits you and quickly. And before I forget, the darker eyes have considerable less glare.

Andrew is there any other options for a light source?

There is another option for a light source. It is a circular lamp designed specifically for macro photography using most Nikon Coolpix cameras up to the 4500. From what I have heard and seen this lamp leaves many reflection spots on the eye therefore it is not suitable.

Necessity is the "Mother of Invention"!

This is the device that I use to assist me photographing pigeon eyes. It allows me to hold the bird's head still when the shot is taken. The original one was designed for the Nikon 880 and was not suited for the Nikon 995 because it has completely different case. I made some minor modification to it so that I could use it on the 995. It is quite a primitive prototype but satisfies a need. The frame was made from a piece of aluminum siding and I used duct tape to cover the sharp edges. The slots allow the fastening bolt on the tripod to screw into the camera. This device was used on 4 different cameras that is why the slot is in an "L" shape.

The Skrobot device indicates clearly how problems give rise to opportunities. I believe in the old KISS adage ( keep it simple stupid)

The following pictures show several views of the camera mounted on a tripod with this device.

The photos below show how to hold the bird's head against the device. It assists by holding the birds head stationary for focusing. Unfortunately this device only allows photographing the left eye. I am working on some modifications to this prototype that will allow photographing both eyes much more easily. Before I forget, the sun should come over your left shoulder, otherwise this camera blocks out the sun. Use the camera monitor to compose the photo. Also you will need an assistant to do the shooting as whoever holds the bird will have both hands occupied.

Its easy once someone shows you how?


After the photos are taken they are download to the computer.

Do you use a graphics program?

Using a graphics program like Adobe Photoshop minor adjustments are made to the color, brightness and sharpness to make the photos as realistic as possible. For viewing on a computer monitor a size of 5" x 5" (12 cm x 12 cm) is preferable. I have used photos up to 9" x 9" with success. The resolution of these photos always must be a 72 pixel/in or 28 pixels/cm for the web. Also the file size for these photos should not exceed 50 kb in size for quickness in loading on the web or receiving by e-mail. The latest version of Adobe Photoshop versions 5, 6 & 7 optimize photographic files just for this purpose. Another program which is considerable less expensive and useful is PaintShop Pro. The last 2 versions, 6 & 7 also optimize photos for the web.

“In conclusion I must say that I enjoy all facets of the sport. However, my greatest satisfaction comes from photographing racing pigeons and rendering the photographs to make the bird look the best it can be. My goal is to become the best at this.”

Figure 20 ANDREW SKROBOT

EDUCATOR /PHOTOGRAPHER/PIGEON FANCIER.

Racing Pigeons Section Contents

Ashdon Farms

Background on Silvio Mattacchione, his pigeons, his loft, and inbreeding program.

Articles

A group of articles and editorials addressing various aspects of the sport of pigeon racing and the history of Silvio's line of Spanjaards/Janssens pigeons.

Pigeon Books

Buy fantastic pigeon books online! Selections include The Will to Prepare by Robert Kinney, Rotondo on Racing Pigeons by Joseph Rotondo, and The Pigeon Guide by Dr. Jon Esposito and Shannon Hiatt.

Pigeons For Sale

Some of Silvio Mattacchione's own winning stock is for sale.

Pigeon Consulting

Sivio Mattacchione offers a wide range of racing pigeon consulting services and consults with owners as far away as Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, The Philippines and the United States. Each consultation is tailored specifically to meet the client's needs, and is conducted in as thorough a manner as possible.

Charity Events

Good causes supported by Silvio and the racing pigeon and parrot communities.

Emoticons

Clever pigeon pictures constructed of keyboard strokes by artist Jerry Downs.

Pigeon Links

Links to other racing pigeon sites including those of clubs, products, and information resources.

An easy way to navigate a series of pigeon web sites!

Silvio's e-mail, mail, phone, and fax contact information.

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