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Pigeon breeds are diverse. The main choice that a beginner fancier should make is what kind of bird should be adopted. Pigeons are classified as wild and domestic. Wild pedigree pigeons are more demanding to keep. Therefore, domestic pigeons are recommended for beginner breeders.
What does a dove look like
There are about 800 species of pigeon breeds. Their appearance is often very different, but there are common characteristics. Pigeon Description:
- the head is small, the neck is shortened;
- thin beak, slightly elongated, the color depends on the color of the feathers;
- the eyes are large, the color may be different, the vision is sharp;
- the ears are covered with feathers, the hearing is excellent, the birds are able to perceive ultrasound and infrasound;
- the body is neat, weighing up to 650 g, some breeds reach 900 g;
- legs are short with 4 toes;
- the plumage fits snugly to the body, the downy component is well developed;
- the tail is rounded;
- wing length on average about 25 cm;
- the male is larger than the female;
- the color is varied, from light gray, beige to bright, rich, multi-colored like parrots.
The flight is fast, up to 60 km / h. Sports pigeons can reach speeds of up to 140 km / h.
Types of pigeons
Today, about 35 species of pigeons belong to the pigeon family. They differ in shape, color and type of plumage, size.
All varieties of domestic pigeons are descended from the common rock dove. The characteristics of this particular pigeon are well studied and taken as a basis. Carrying out breeding work, breeders sometimes get breeds that are completely different from each other. The following groups are known: sports (postal), flight, decorative, meat. Recently, meat and sports breeds have lost some of their former popularity.
Pigeon breeds with a photo and a name can be found below.
Wild pigeons
All species of wild pigeons are different, they have features characteristic only of this species. They live in places far from people - in forests, on the banks of rivers, inhabiting rocks. They live in groups. Food is found on the ground, the rest of the time is spent in trees or in flight. In addition to the external description of the breed of pigeons, behavior, ability to reproduce, and character differ. They are hardy, capable of flying up to 1000 km in one day. They find a couple for life. They incubate up to 2-3 eggs together with a partner. They feed on nuts, berries, various fruits.
Dove
Another name is cisar. The bird is widespread in Europe, found in Russia. Nests are arranged in rocks, stone buildings. Very trusting, they can be easily tamed. They have about 28 varieties. Swift in flight. The plumage is light gray. There are dark stripes on the outside of the tail. Weight up to 350 g. Sexual maturity occurs in six months, in a clutch of 1-2 eggs. Life expectancy in nature is about 5 years, at home about 30 years.
Crowned pigeon
One of the most beautiful birds. It differs from other species in its large size (up to 70 cm), body weight up to 3 kg, small head, long beak. The main advantage of a crowned pigeon is an unusual crest, reminiscent of a fan. The feathers on the tuft are blue, the tassels at the end are white.
They live in forests, forest belts, closer to farms, where there is more food. They are very gullible towards a person. During the day they are busy looking for food, raising young birds. Caring for the partner and chicks. They live in flocks, couples keep a little apart. They prefer cereals, grains, fruits, berries, seeds, sometimes they feed on insects and snails. They love fresh herbs very much.
Vyakhir
It has several names: vituten or forest wild pigeon. This species is larger than the rest of the pigeon family. The length of the bird's body is about 40 cm, weight is up to 1 kg. It is the closest relative of city pigeons. The main color of the plumage is gray or gray, the breast is red, the neck is slightly metallic, the goiter is turquoise.
They live in coniferous, mixed forests of Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Ukraine. Found in Russia in the Novgorod, Gorky, Leningrad regions. Depending on the habitat, it can be both a migratory and a sedentary bird. Vyakhiri keep in flocks. From food they prefer fruits, cereals, legumes, berries, rarely use worms and caterpillars.
Klintukh
It inhabits the forests of Asia and Europe, is quite common in Russia. Like the wood pigeon, it can lead a sedentary lifestyle or fly to warmer countries for the winter. The bird is small in size, up to 35 cm, weight about 370 g. The color of the plumage is smoky, the neck has a greenish tint. He treats a person with caution. They can settle in the city park, but only if they find a suitable hollow in the trees. They feed on plant foods: seeds, berries, fruits, nuts. In the spring, they can eat insects.
Rock dove
At first glance, it is no different from the city pigeon, but in fact, these types of pigeons have different characteristics, as well as habits.
It was named after its main habitat. They inhabit gorges, rocks, cliffs. The rocky pigeon is smaller than the gray dove, the feathers in the tail are lighter, two stripes are visible on the wings. They eat plant food, occasionally supplementing the diet with slugs, insects, and snails.
It is the ancestor of such breeds as puffers, peacocks, turmans. Thanks to this species, the main groups of pigeons appeared: meat, decorative, flight, post.
Sports pigeons
They are representatives of the elite direction of pigeon breeding, popular in many European countries. Previously, they were called postal ones, as they delivered mail over long distances.
Breeders of sports pigeons care mainly about the aerodynamic properties of the birds, which are in the correct proportions of body parts. A pigeon with good athletic performance should have a smoothly streamlined body with a powerful chest and a wide back. The tail is narrow, with abundant tight-fitting plumage.
Breeding of sports pigeons is quite a popular hobby, but keeping, caring, feeding requires a lot of effort and expense. To make a real athlete out of a pigeon, it is necessary to correctly approach the choice of a chick, draw up a competent feeding ration, create all the necessary conditions for keeping, daily training is important.
Before purchasing a sports pigeon, it is worth studying information about various nurseries, reviewing recommendations, reviews. The websites of elite nurseries usually provide all the necessary information, documents and photographs. There are nurseries in many countries, but pigeons from Holland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Romania are more appreciated. There are also many clubs in Russia where sports pigeons are bred and competitions are organized.
Starting to breed sports pigeons, you need to take care of the cleanliness in the dovecote. For the dovecote, it is better to use natural building materials, make an open-air cage, the room should be warm, dry and light. Cleaning should be carried out daily, to monitor the cleanliness of drinking bowls, feeders.
For sports pigeons, proper nutrition is important. It differs significantly from the diet of birds of decorative breeds. In pigeons, grain mixtures, legumes should prevail: corn, peas, millet, hemp, lentils. You can add bread, boiled potatoes, rice, herbs. We must not forget about vitamin supplements for sports pigeon breeds.
Birds begin to train at the age of two months. First of all, you need to accustom the pigeon to the owner and the dovecote. To do this, you should come to them at a certain time, in the same clothes. They must learn to react to the owner, to eat from his hands. Before releasing them to fly, you need to teach pigeons to fly from the dovecote to the aviary and back.
These sessions last for about a week. Then you can drive the pigeons onto the roof and let them get to know the area. The first flight lasts about 20 minutes, after which the flight time gradually increases. Then they start training for orientation in space, starting with short distances, and then increasing them.
Russian postal
The Russian breed of sports pigeons is considered one of the most hardy. They often take part in various international competitions. They fly long distances. A kind of Russian postage - white Ostankino. They have a sharp beak, a graceful head shape. The wings are powerful, close to the body, the legs are long without feathers.
Belgian sports
In appearance it resembles a wild pigeon. The chest is powerful, muscular body, small rounded head. The eyes are dark in color. The tail is small, narrow, and the wings are shortened. Plumage shades are varied. It is an expensive bird.
Flying pigeons
The main quality of this group of pigeons is their ability to rise to the maximum height, stay in the sky for a long time. During the breeding work for the breeding of flight pigeons, birds with a good muscular system were selected.
Breeders of some breeds of flying pigeons believe that the ability to roll in the air takes a lot of energy from birds, and does not give them the opportunity to climb higher and soar as long as possible. Such birds must be discarded.
There are certain differences in the nature of the flight within the flight rocks:
- Bell tower - a pigeon, being at an altitude of more than 120 m, makes circular flights or just flies;
- lark - the height of the rise of such birds is 350 m;
- sparrow - lifting height up to 650 m;
- butterfly - flight at an altitude of up to 840 m;
- shimmering - rise to a height of 1500 m and disappear from the sight of observers.
Birds of these breeds must fly daily. Without training, flying birds quickly lose their shape. In addition, they must fly in a flock; alone, birds do not rise into the sky.
Flight breeds are of 3 types:
- simples breeds, retained flight properties;
- stately (the main quality is decorativeness);
- battle (special somersault flight).
Flight pigeons demonstrate their best properties in the area in which they were born.
Sickle
The merit in breeding this breed of flight pigeons belongs to Ukrainian breeders. Their main feature is their unusual wing shape. One of the joints has a bulge; during flight, pigeons spread their wings straight in front of them. The extreme feathers are turned inward, slightly towards the center. As a result, they form two sickles. Pigeons were brought to Ukraine from Turkey. They have several varieties.
Crescent pigeons rise quite high when flying. They hover in the air for several hours. Birds flying out of the dovecote separate and fly around the territory on their own. Then they freeze in a vertical line - whatnot.
This species of pigeons is of medium size, slim build, light body. The color is variegated. Features:
- the wing is narrow, pointed;
- the tail is slightly longer than the wing;
- sickles are visible during flight;
- the quality of the flight is maintained with the wind.
Pigeons became the progenitors of the Tula, Ochakovskaya breed.
Nikolaev
They are a very valuable breed of flying pigeons among breeders. They first appeared in Nikolaev and quickly gained popularity on the Black Sea coast. They are considered the descendants of blue and Turkish pigeons. They have an elongated small body, about 40 cm long. The color of the plumage is white, black, blue, red. The breed is divided into several varieties:
- white-tailed (2-3 colored feathers);
- color-side (frontal part and sides of the same color).
The history of pigeons of the Nikolaev breed is interesting. The breeders did not pay much attention to the color of the bird and were engaged in improving the flying qualities. Now they are equated with decorative breeds and birds have become more interesting in appearance, but their flight characteristics are far behind.
For their special flight technique, they are called butterflies - in the air, pigeons constantly flap their wings, while spreading a wide tail. They prefer to fly alone. During the flight, they do not hover in the air.
Iranian
The breed belongs to the flight-fighting species of pigeons. Rising into the sky, they perform tricks, while emitting characteristic clicks of their wings. For Iranians, who since ancient times have considered pigeon breeding a sacred occupation, these doves are symbols of greatness.
The appearance is varied, but their features are a wide tail, legs without feathers, a dense body, good musculature, dense feathers. The head is small with a small tuft. The most valuable is the combined color of the plumage. This breed of pigeons does not change color with age or during molting. Iranian pigeon breeders prefer birds without any blots on their plumage.
The flight of Iranian pigeons is slow, calm. A distinctive feature of the flight is a battle with the subsequent exit to the post. The exit is fixed - the pigeon hovers in the air for a few seconds. The flight duration is from 3 to 10 hours.
Uzbek pigeons
All types of pigeons bred in Uzbekistan belong to flying and play breeds. They are appreciated for the beauty and duration of the flight. Of all the breeds of domestic pigeons, they are considered the most freedom-loving. Soaring in the air, pigeons make very loud sounds - flapping their wings. In addition, they can somersault over their heads, rise higher into the sky and fall sharply downward. This kind of fun in the air can go on for hours.
The exact number of breeds of Uzbek pigeons is unknown. The most common breeds:
- short-billed (beak length no more than 8 mm);
- forelock (raised feathers on the back of the head);
- toothless (feathers on the head are smooth);
- nose-toed (the presence of a forelock on the beak and wax);
- two-lipped (one forelock is located on the back of the head, the second above the beak)
In addition to the listed species, Uzbek shaggy pigeons are valued all over the world. They are characterized by rich plumage on their feet.
Baku
This type of flying pigeons is popular among breeders in Russia and the CIS. They won fans thanks to their very high flight and beautiful flight, as well as for a variety of plumage colors. They have the perfect combination of flight performance and flawless appearance.
The birthplace of Baku pigeons is the city of Baku, where breeders paid attention, first of all, to flying qualities. Earlier, in the middle of the 20th century, they were not distinguished by their beauty. Later, after lengthy work on selection, they became owners of excellent flight characteristics and beautiful appearance.
Among the Baku breed there are shag-legged, bare-legged. Chubate and pigeons with various colors of plumage.
"Baku residents" fly one by one in a scattering, demonstrating their skills to amateurs.
Takla
The Turkish breed of flying and playing pigeons Takla has won international recognition. In Turkish, "takla" is a roll. During somersault, the pigeons make a click and enter the vertical.
It is known about the origin of the breed that it came to Turkey in the 11th century with nomads from Central Asia. They became interested in pigeons because of the rich plumage of the legs and forelocks on the head.
Today most of the Russian fighting breeds are descendants of the Turkish takla. The bird is very easy to train, intelligent, has a topographic memory.
Features of the tackle:
- able to fly all day;
- during flight, they enter the post several times in a row;
- flight height in the pole is about 20 m;
- the battle lasts from 2 to 5 hours;
- the best flying qualities in birds of discreet shades.
There are more than two dozen types of takla: Syrian diving, Iranian battle, Iraqi battle group, Armenian.
Andijan
One of the most ancient breeds of Uzbek pigeons. It is known that they were brought to Andijan in 1890 from Iran. Over the years, the breed has improved its qualities, including flying. They are an artificially bred breed of pigeons. Pigeon breeders have achieved the following indicators:
- body weight up to 400 g;
- body length 40 cm;
- the chest is powerful, in a girth of 28 cm;
- the head is medium in size, the eyes are large;
- legs are straight, with a small plumage;
- tail up to 18 cm.
They are appreciated by breeders for their calm disposition and excellent flying qualities. Very hardy. Flight duration up to 8 hours. The peculiarities of the flight are that when entering the post, they freeze in the air for several minutes. Rising into the sky, they make circular movements. They fly in a flock. They have a strong affection for the home and owner.
Izhevsk
Bred at the beginning of the twentieth century in Udmurtia. A rather large bird, but despite this, it is capable of taking off to such a height that it is practically invisible from the ground. The flight duration is several hours. It is not recommended to release them in bad weather and during molting, since the loss of a flight feather will prevent them from taking off normally. The walks of the Izhevsk breed of pigeons must be controlled. If the flock flies for 4-5 hours, then they can be released daily. After long flights (12-15 hours) the next day it is better to give them the opportunity to rest.
Izhevsk pigeons are characterized by well-developed muscles, a powerful body, dense plumage, a wide tail and long wings.
Monks
The breed of monk pigeons fell in love with German breeders in the 17th century for their unusual appearance and noble demeanor. The name was given to them for an interesting color, reminiscent of a monk's attire. The breeds of German monk pigeons are subdivided into German cross and Moscow.
A very friendly breed. When a stranger appears, they gladly invite him to their flock. Very caring parents - they can hatch both their own and other people's chicks. This is used by breeders.
They fly low, but quite maneuverable. Not adapted for long flights.
Decorative
The most popular bird of domestic pigeons. This is a fairly large group of pigeons with a varied appearance.
Ornamental breeds do not have specific standards. Many species are similar to each other. Breeders are attracted by unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention.
They occurred by crossing different breeds of domestic pigeons.
Stately
The breed of stately pigeons became known in the 17th-18th centuries. They first appeared on the territory of the Kuban and the banks of the Don. Further, the habitat has expanded significantly. The breed received international recognition in Budapest in 1975. Distinctive features of stately pigeons:
- the tips of the wings are lowered to the ground;
- raised tail;
- the breast is raised;
- varied color;
- decorative feathers on the legs and back of the head.
They come in many varieties.
Peacocks
They are one of the oldest pigeon breeds in the world. Received recognition for grace, grace of movement and high fertility. At one time, the palaces of the rajahs were decorated, and in the 16th century they appeared in England and spread throughout Europe. They have a peaceful disposition, do not like to fly. They are bred exclusively for aesthetic purposes.
Jacobin
In Europe, this pigeon is called the wig pigeon.It got its name from a certain wig - vertically growing feathers. Such a "hairstyle" obscures the view and because of this, the flight characteristics of the pigeon suffer greatly. The body of the bird is proportional, long legs, thin tail. The plumage color is varied.
They are popular at exhibitions because they look very impressive. By nature, they are somewhat pampered, nevertheless they are caring parents.
Meat pigeons
Meat pigeons are raised and bred for subsequent consumption. They differ from other varieties in large constitution, their average weight is about 650 g. More than 50 breeds are referred to this group of pigeons. Many breeds are bred in the USA, France, Italy on a large scale for sale. Each breed of meat direction of pigeons is diverse in appearance, weight, color and fertility.
Strasser
The weight of the bird reaches 1 kg. The body is large, with a prominent breast. They fly very badly. Can be varied in plumage color. They are distinguished by a steep disposition, they often get into fights. They are highly fertile. When bred within the breed, they are able to maintain high performance indicators.
Kingi
A breed of pigeons was created after the selection work of US breeders. Kingi differ from other meat breeds in that they are often used both as poultry for fattening for meat, and as an exhibition species.
The breed is unusually fertile. They are caring parents. The female makes 6-8 clutches per season. The weight of the pigeon reaches 850 g. In appearance, they resemble chicken-like birds.
Domestic pigeons in the video are presented below.
Conclusion
The pigeon breeds are interesting and varied. They began to breed them for a long time. Pigeons have always been close to a person, trusted him and served. And today they are engaged in pigeon breeding with pleasure all over the world. Such popularity is due to the fact that the maintenance and care of them does not cause any particular difficulties.
