While the fancy pigeons have had the ‘homing instinct ... One day, when we were at an abandoned farm, a pigeon fell out of a nest. I took it home and nurtured it. Then, at around 12, I ...

Waikato pigeon fancier Ray Hooker’s interest in his grandmother’s and father’s pigeons, budgies, canaries and cockatiels ended up with him being given the responsibility for them at 11 years old.

The bizarre, beautiful and, at times, almost comical diversity of "fancy pigeons" is captured here by photographer Luisa Maria Stagno. The much maligned pigeons we all know, which are ubiquitous ...