Training continued by releasing the pigeons farther and farther from the store. "I just made sure dinner was ready when the birds returned," says Costlow. Eight months later the pigeons were fast and accurate and ready to work.
These birds are bred for both speed and endurance and are like finely tuned athletes. Though it is only about 20 miles from the photographer to the store, the birds must fly fast enough to outmaneuver the peregrine falcons that roam the skies. "These birds are fast. They fly about one mile per minute and even when I take the birds 60 miles away to Denver and release them, they always beat me home," says Costlow.
Some birds, however, are not fast enough. This year Costlow has lost three pigeons to hawks, reducing his flock to 17.
Since launching the Pigeon Express photo sales have tripled and Costlow has few complaints. The birds make one flight every three days, are never sick and are always on time. Occasionally a bird might dawdle a little, and maybe every few weeks a roll of film gets lost, but that is about it.
"Pigeons mate for life, so we only fly one member of the couple on any trip. That way they hustle back home. Let the couple go together and they dilly dally," says Costlow.
"My most reliable flier who has been with us since the beginning is Number 19. When there are only ten minutes to spare and we need to rush the film home, we always use Number 19," says Costlow.
Initially, Costlow's friends thought the Pigeon Express a bird-brained idea. Four years later Costlow has the last laugh as he watches profits from photo sales soar sky high.
• Watch coverage of the Pigeon Express on National Geographic Today, only on the National Geographic Channel, 7 p.m. ET/PT in the United States. Click here to request it.
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