IN PICTURES: Pigeons, thoroughbred racers of the sky | Bartell's Backroads

Dave Endress, a pigeon racier from Wilton, holds a 16-day-old chick. Endress says that, while there are records of some pigeons living 19 years or more, most racers average about 10 years.

A 16-day-old baby pigeon sits in the hand of owner, Dave Endress. By 45 days, the chick's yellow down will be replaced by feathers. At four months, Endress will start training it to race.

John Bartell

You can tell how healthy a pigeon is by looking at the color of its beak. A white band is a good sign. Other colors could indicate illness.

Owner Dave Endress shows the leg band that identifies each of his racing pigeons. It also contains a chip that notifies Endress and race officials when his pigeons have crossed the antenna in the coop that functions as the finish line.

Racing pigeons relax and catch a bite to eat between training sessions. Owner Dave Eldress has about 70 birds.

Pigeons take flight from racing enthusiast Dave Endress' coop. Some racing pigeons can travel 600 miles in a day.

California Gaming Association urges Governor Newsom to order all casinos, including on tribal land, to close temporarily

Stockton schools to start school year with 100% distance learning

Sacramento Local Forecast

Jupiter will shine brightly in the night sky on Monday; here's how to see it

Steph Curry memorializes Breonna Taylor with 'Black lives matter' golf shoes

Short-handed Kings tip-off training camp in Orlando ahead of NBA season restart

Demand for robot cooks rises as kitchens combat COVID-19

Supreme Court clears way for execution of federal prisoner

Sacramento's Leading Local News: Weather, Traffic, Sports and more | Sacramento, California | ABC10.com

IN PICTURES: Pigeons, thoroughbred racers of the sky | Bartell's Backroads

KXTV would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.