Tumblers pigeon

No, not Tumblrs! One of the most popular and prized show birds in the Victorian era was a “performance bird”—the Almond Tumbler. Like other Tumblers, the birds were originally bred because of their curious flight patterns. After flying very high up, they do a series of very fast, very impressive back flips, before flying straight up again. Of course, this bizarre flight would make them prime prey for hawks and falcons, but for their breeders, the most brilliant feathers and fastest spins are exactly what’s wanted for the next generation. One family of this breed, the Short-Faced Tumblers (of which the Almond Tumbler is a member), is loved for its very “dainty” look, but this look is at the expense of beak length; the tiny beaks of the family (and the Short-Faced types in other breeds and families) mean that they can no longer effectively feed their young, and the squabs must be hand-raised.
Despite some of the Fancies looking like a taxidermied light bulb, or a tiny peacock with a snake for a neck, the bizarre traits are only skin-deep. In writing The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin cross-bred many different pigeon breeds, and showed that within one or two generations, the majority of offspring would resemble “wild-type” Rock Doves—the iridescent head, bluish tint, and barred wings. But the genes of domesticity still exist in our feral pigeons today: The speckled white, piebald, unusually-shaped, and unusually-sized pigeons of our cities are the result of parents carrying the gene mutations humans exploited generations ago. In the natural habitat of the Rock Dove, these odd colors and shapes would surely be a disadvantage and would be swiftly eliminated by natural predators. But on the brownstone and concrete cliffs of humans, the oddities manage to survive and thrive, and pass their genes on to the next generation.
Tumbler pigeons are varieties of domesticated pigeons descendant from the rock dove that have been selected for their ability to tumble or roll over backwards in flight.
This ability has been known in domesticated breeds of pigeons for centuries. In Wendell Levi's book The Pigeon, reference is made to pigeons with this tumbling ability existing in India before the year 1590. Charles Darwin, in his book The Origin of Species, makes reference to the Short Faced Tumbler which was a popular breed during his lifetime, and still can be found exhibited at pigeon shows today.
There are many different breeds that have descended from the original tumbler stocks. Some of the more popular breeds today include:

• Armenian Tumbler
• Australian Performing Tumbler
• Berlin Short Faced Tumbler
• English Long Faced Tumbler
• English Short Faced Tumbler
• Iranian Highflying Tumbler
• Komorner Tumbler
• West of England Tumbler
• Limerick Tumblers
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Trumpeters pigeon

This diverse group of breeds is showcased primarily for their odd vocalizations and calls, and is known as the “voice” pigeons. Some of the breeds sound trumpet-like, while others make drumming or laughing sounds, but all have sounds that differ from your average pigeon. Though their sounds are important, they’re also judged on looks. Some, like the Arabian trumpeter, look like a fairly standard pigeon. Others, like the Bokhara trumpeter, look like their head was chopped off and they squished another pigeon beneath their ostentatiously-feathered feet. (An English trumpeter is featured above.)
The Trumpeter breeds of fancy pigeon are so named because of their unique vocalizations which sound vaguely like low laughter. Wendell Levi describes this trumpeting vocalization in his book The Pigeon.^[1] There are several domesticated varieties that possess this "trumpeting" ability to various degrees. Some of the more popular are:

English Trumpeter

• Arabian Trumpeter
• Bokhara Trumpeter
• Dresden Trumpeter
• Altenburger Trumpeter
• English Trumpeter
• Franconian Trumpeter
  

Archangel pigeon

This is one of the most striking “color” breeds. Their iridescent bodies and contrasting wings create an impressive sight, and it’s not hard to see why this breed was the most popular fancy pigeon in Germany and the Rhine for decades. While the color specifications for the breed standard have changed over the years, the body type has remained largely the same: a stately, large bird, with a well-formed head and proportionate beak. There are many color breeds out there, and they’re some of the most popular “starter” pigeons.
The Archangel is a breed of fancy pigeon, notable for the metallic sheen of its feathers.^[1] Archangels, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). It is kept as an ornamental or fancy breed, valued for its unusual appearance. Archangels are small, weighing about 12 oz. They have unfeathered legs and dark orange eyes. They may or may not be crested. The body of the bird is bronze or gold with wings that are either black, white, or blue.
This breed is also known as the Gimpel, which is German for European bullfinch. The United States is the only country in which all color forms are referred to as "Archangels", in Great Britain only the black and copper colored birds are called Archangels, this is because the black and copper color type was created in Great Britain.
The Archangel is known as Gimpeltaube in Germany, most color types were refined in Germany. This is a very old breed, the most likely place origin is Dalmatia / Illyria.^[2] Breeders maintain consistency within the breed by following the breed standard.

Standard

• Element Characteristics:
  • Head: Lightly curved, longish and narrow with a fairly flat frontal. The crest develops from the back of the shoulders and runs up to the apex, and here developing into a sharp conical point upon the head. The feathers from both sides of the shoulders converge together into a ridge or niche which runs up the back of the neck to form the crest.
  • Eyes: Very vivid, the iris is dark orange in color and is surrounded by a very slightly developed cere which is light pink to flesh in coloration.
  • Beak: Long thin and straight, the upper beak being slightly curved at the tip. The color the beak is light horn which becomes darker close to the tip.
  • Neck: Fairly long and comparatively thin. The throat is well rounded out.
  • Breast: Moderately wide and slightly pronounced.
  • Back: Sloping down and blending well into the tail.
  • Wings: Moderately long, tightly closed and lying nicely upon the tail without crossing. The tips should not extend to the end of the tail.
  • Tail: Long and narrow, tightly closed, being slightly longer than the flights. The tail must not be carried too low as to touch the ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Hen pigeon

Bred to look like their namesake, the “Hen” breeds, such as the small German Modena and the massive King Pigeon, look much like chickens on stilts. Their short tails are upright, and their plump bodies and necks curve in such a way that they look more like poultry than pigeons. The larger members of this family are generally ground-dwellers and not prone to fly off, and are often allowed outside in chicken-like coops.

Cropper pigeon

All pigeons inflate their crops (an organ in their throat that grinds up food) while strutting in front of others, but the croppers take this to the extreme. Their crops are highly-developed, and they love to puff their chests out when they’re in play, and not just when they’re trying to find a mate. Despite what looks like a top-heavy bird, the fact that the crop is filled with air means that they’re not going to tip over at any moment. Most Croppers have been bred to have a long back, stand up straight, and for their tendency to puff up. Some have other body shapes, but all are bred with the inflatable crop in mind. These breeds actually have more vertebrae and a larger ribcage than the Rock Dove. Croppers are also some of the more affectionate pigeons, known to bond and play with their handlers.
The Norwich Cropper is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. The Norwich Cropper along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the rock pigeon (Columba livia).^[1] The Norwich Cropper is thought to have been developed from a breed called the Oploper and is of Dutch origin.^{[2 t}he Old German Cropper is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Old German Croppers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (Columba livia).^[1]
An old breed that originated in Germany and Hungary. Description: The Old German Cropper is the longest breed of pigeon. It has a large well-inflated globe that is oval to round in shape. The old German stands with the front of its body raised in a semierect station and the rest of its body carried close and parallel to the ground. The wings are very long and ideally should extend beyond the tail. They should be well closed and not show a "sail like effect", that is caused by raised secondary feathers that break the smooth wing line. The legs are fairly short without showing the birds thighs that are covered by the undercarriage feathers.
Colors & Markings: The Old German comes in black, white, red, yellow, dun, cream, mealy, silver, blue in bar and check, and lark. They are self-colored, but also can be found in splash or a random mixture of white and colored feathers, tiger which should have dark flights and tail with white feathers sprinkled on the rest of the body, flights marked with a solid colored body and evenly marked white flights on both wings, and mussel head which is primarily found in black which manifests itself with a sprinkling of white feathers on the head reminiscent of the coloring of the shell mussel.

General The overall look of the Old German is large powerful pigeon. Some of this is created by the extreme feather development. The bird does not have a heavy body. Feather development should be smooth and neat without being tight.

Frillback pigeon

These breeds are the earliest known pigeons to be bred solely for ornamental purposes, and not for meat. The curly top flight feathers of these breeds make it appear almost lacy, but come at the expense of effective flight. While they’re able to fly much better than chickens, and can fly “normally” to escape predators or get out of a rut, making some of their flight feathers essentially useless means that to do so, they have to expend more energy than your average pigeon. This factor, along with their larger size, means these birds generally prefer to walk or run, rather than fly. These fancy feathers also mean that the frillback breeds have no water resistance and are highly susceptible to cold if wet, like the fantails. The frillback mutation is autosomal dominant, so if one parent has just one copy of the gene, there’s a 50/50 chance that the offspring will have frilled feathers. The dominance of this gene means that the frill trait has been transferred to some types and families of other fancy breeds
The Frillback is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding.^[1] Frillbacks, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). The breed is known for the frill or curls on the wing shield feathers. The feather curl should also be present at the ends of the foot feathers or muffs.^[2]

The standards of a pure American Frillback

The quality of a Frillback is based on a 100-point scale, with the head constituting 15 points, the color constituting 15 points, the body constituting 10 points, the curl constituting 50 points, and the muff constituting 10 points.
The colors of standard Frillbacks fall into six color categories.

1. Self- white, black, recessive red, yellow
2. Pattern- recessive red mottle, yellow mottle, rosewing, whiteside
3. Grizzle- red, yellow, blue, silver
4. Shield marked- red, yellow, blue-black bar, silver-dun bar, mealy ash-red bar, ash-cream bar
5. ARC- Any rare color
6. ARCP- Any rare color pattern

ARC and ARCP Frillbacks must be entered by at least 3 exhibitors in 3 of 5 American Frillback shows for 3 years, with judging score progress, before it is deemed appropriate. Frillbacks produce many different colors that are not recognized by the AFC because they are not standard and do not reproduce consistently. Frillbacks can carry numerous colors in many different patterns such as pied. These colors are not recognized as standard, but are very common.
Size Frillbacks are slightly larger than other colored pigeon breeds, with longer tail and wing feathers.
Head Shell-crest and plain-head are found in all colors of Frillbacks. A plain-headed Frillback should have a slightly oval head with no flat areas and a forehead that has a distinct stop at the wattle. A shell-crested Frillback should have a thick shell crest on the back of the head with rosettes on each side. The crest should stand off the head.
Eyes The eyes should be in line with the beak. A reddish-orange is desired in all colors except shield marked. Shield marked desire a black or "bull-eye". While pearl, gravel, and cracked eyes occur, they are not desirable and are considered major faults.
Beak The beak of a Frillback is long, with the upper beak often being slightly longer than the lower beak. The beak is dark on red and blue grizzles, black on blacks, light on yellow, horn on silver, and flesh colored on all other standard colors. The wattle is thin and white on all colors.
Muff The muff of a Frillback will vary, however, 2 to 3 inches is a desirable length.
Frill The curl of a Frillback covers its entire wing shield. No areas should be uncovered. The last row of curls spans the entire length of the wing. Frills form a distinct ringlet curl at the end. The bottom of the muff is also frilled. Tail and flight feathers have a distinct wrinkle.

Jacobin pigeon

These were named because of their “mane,” which resembled the cowls of Jacobin monks back when the breed first gained popularity. These days, the mane of most Jacobin types is so pronounced you can’t see the head of the pigeon from the side. Aside from their giant mane, these are slender, shapely creatures, with long legs, a slim tail, and an upright posture. The birds who are most “showy” and who like to fluff up their feathers and strut are highly valued in competition.These were named because of their “mane,” which resembled the cowls of Jacobin monks back when the breed first gained popularity. These days, the mane of most Jacobin types is so pronounced you can’t see the head of the pigeon from the side. Aside from their giant mane, these are slender, shapely creatures, with long legs, a slim tail, and an upright posture. The birds who are most “showy” and who like to fluff up their feathers and strut are highly valued in competition.