 Black Self Barb Pigeon | |
| Conservation status | Common |
|---|---|
| Classification | |
| US Breed Group | Fancy |
| Notes | |
| A very old breed of domesticated pigeon which was extant in Shakespeare's day. | |
| |
The Barb (also called the English Barb) is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. [1] Barbs, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (a livia). This breed was referred to by Shakespeare. [2] It was also referred to with an illustration in Charles Darwin's Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication . It has been marked as cruel by many organisations due to the size of its beak which means it has trouble feeding its young and surviving.
