Basra’s pigeon auctions in Iraq draw multi-million dinar bids

Shafaq News- Basra

Bidding climbed into the tens of millions of dinars at a Qallab pigeon auction in Safwan near Iraq’s border with Kuwait, where one bird sold for more than 25 million Iraqi dinars (around $20K) and others fetched between 6 and 19 million.

The event drew dozens of breeders and buyers, including participants from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In Basra alone, more than 7,000 enthusiasts practice the hobby, which has evolved into a structured market built on performance and lineage.

Auction organizer Muayyad Al-Qadi told Shafaq News that breeders carefully pair top-performing birds to preserve strong bloodlines. “The distinguished bird is selected and matched with another of equal quality to maintain the strain and enhance its traits.”

On the auction floor, broker Abu Zainab explained that elite birds develop names and reputations within the community, pushing prices higher when linked to recognized lineages.

Prices can rise far beyond this session’s sales. Kuwaiti broker Abu Abdullah said some birds have reached 150 million dinars, describing such figures as normal in a trade where breeders expect long-term returns through offspring sales.

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