In March 2025, Tyson said he owned hundreds of pigeons, perhaps as many as 1,000, across the US.
Tyson has said that when a neighbourhood bully killed one of his pigeons in front of him, he fought back, marking what he has described as his first fight. Long before Mike Tyson became one of boxing’s most feared heavyweight champions, pigeons were a source of love and comfort for him. Tyson has recalled being bullied as a child growing up in Brooklyn and finding refuge in the pigeons he kept, saying that spending time with them helped take his mind off the world around him and the people who picked on him. The birds became so important that Tyson later described pigeons as the first loving relationship he ever had. They were also unexpectedly connected to the beginning of his fighting life. More than five decades later, his fascination with the birds remains strong.
CBS reported in 2011 that Tyson’s first punch came after a neighbourhood bully killed one of his beloved pigeons. The New Yorker reported in 2011 that Tyson had raised pigeons before he began boxing, while earlier reporting documented his continued involvement with pigeon keeping in adulthood.
A neighbourhood bully took one of his pigeons, killed it and threw the bird at Tyson, according to accounts of Tyson’s childhood. Tyson has repeatedly told versions of this story and has connected the incident with the beginning of his fighting instinct. Perhaps the most remarkable part of Tyson’s pigeon story is the connection he has drawn between the birds and his development as a fighter. Tyson reacted by punching the boy. It should be treated as Tyson’s own account of an important moment in his life, rather than as proof that the incident alone caused his boxing career. As Tyson’s life changed and he rose through the boxing world, his relationship with pigeons did not disappear. He continued keeping birds even after becoming heavyweight champion and one of the most recognisable athletes in the world. The contrast was striking. Outside the ring Tyson became known for extraordinary power and aggression, yet around his pigeons he displayed a markedly gentler side. One account described him gently kissing a pigeon on the beak before releasing it, highlighting how different his relationship with the birds could look from his public image as a fighter.
In 2011, Animal Planet’s six-part series Taking on Tyson followed the former heavyweight champion as he attempted to build a team and compete in the sport. Because the figure is Tyson’s own estimate rather than an independently verified count, it is more accurate to report it as hundreds, possibly around 1,000, rather than stating that he definitely owns exactly 1,000 birds. CBS reported that Tyson was a longtime pigeon fancier but a novice at racing, with experienced racers helping him learn the competitive side of the hobby.
In a March 2025 interview with PEOPLE, the then-58-year-old Tyson said he owned hundreds of pigeons, adding that the total could be “maybe a thousand”. He said the birds were spread across California, New Jersey, Florida and Las Vegas. He told PEOPLE that he has been involved with pigeons for longer than he has done anything else, including boxing. He also said that pigeons had both got him into trouble and got him out of trouble and described them as something that had been part of his entire life.
Tyson eventually took his lifelong interest further by becoming involved in competitive homing-pigeon racing. Homing-pigeon racing involves releasing birds away from their home lofts and timing how quickly they return. The races can progress from relatively short distances to hundreds of miles. The most useful current figure comes directly from Tyson himself. This is the strongest basis for saying that Tyson still keeps hundreds of pigeons across the US. Tyson’s latest comments make clear that pigeons are not simply a nostalgic reminder of his childhood. His remark that boxing is over but pigeons are still here neatly captures the unusual longevity of the relationship. The heavyweight championship years came and went, but the birds remained a constant presence.