The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon is a member of the bird family Columbidae. In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although this is the wild form of the bird; the pigeons most familiar to people are the domesticated form of the wild rock dove.
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel is calculated and compared with all of the other pigeons in the race to determine which animal returned at the highest speed.
Fancy pigeon refers to any breed of domestic pigeon, which is a domesticated form of the wild rock dove. They are bred by pigeon fanciers for various traits relating to size, shape, color, and behavior, and often exhibited at pigeon shows, fairs and other livestock exhibits.
The Fantail is a popular breed of fancy pigeon. It is characterised by a fan-shaped tail, resembling a peacock, composed of 30 to 40 feathers, abnormally more than most members of the dove and pigeon family, which usually have 12 to 14 tail feathers. The breed is thought to have originated in Pakistan, India, China, Japan or Spain. There are several subvarieties, such as the English Fantail, the Indian Fantail, and the Thai Fantail. Charles Darwin used it as one of the examples in the first chapter of his book On the Origin of Species. He believed it was a descendant of the rock dove.
The tippler is a breed of domestic pigeon bred to participate in endurance competitions. Flying results of up to 22 hours (non-stop) have been reported.
The domestic pigeon is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove or rock pigeon. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics. Pigeons were most likely domesticated in the Mediterranean at least 2000–5000 years ago, and may have been domesticated earlier as a food source. Research suggests that domestication of pigeons occurred as early as 10,000 years ago.
Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the morphology and the behaviour of the domesticated descendants of the rock dove to suit their needs for food, aesthetic satisfaction and entertainment.
The English Pouter is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. English Pouters, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon. A breed with an enlarged crop, their distinctiveness was described by Charles Darwin in The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication (1868).
The Carrier or English Carrier is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Carriers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants of the rock dove. They have a long slender body, with a long neck in proportion to the rest of the body, and distinctive features including a rounded hard wattle.
The Danzig Highflyer is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Danzig Highflyers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon. There are two major variates of the Danzig Highflyer: ones that are bred for show, and others as pets for flying.
Tumbler pigeons are varieties of domesticated pigeons that are descendants of the rock dove that have been selected for their ability to tumble or roll over backwards in flight.
The Iranian Highflying Tumbler pigeon also known as "Persian Highflying Tumbler" in Europe and "Tehrani" in Iran is a breed of domestic pigeon bred in Iran for performance and endurance flying competitions. They fly at a very high altitude and at times out of sight. The tumbling is nothing like a Birmingham Roller, individual flips, occasionally hovering before it does the flip.
Flying/Sporting is the name of one of three main groupings of breeds of domesticated pigeons used by pigeon fanciers in the United States. The other two are Fancy and Utility.
The Ice pigeon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Ice pigeons, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon.
The King pigeon is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. Kings along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the rock dove.
The Dragoon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Dragoons, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants of the wild rock dove. The Dragoon was one of the breeds used in the development of the Racing Homer. A very old breed of British origin, referred to by Moore (1735).
The Szegedin Highflyer is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Szegedin Highflyers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon . The breed belongs to the Flying/Sporting pigeons group.
The Serbian Highflyer is a breed of domestic pigeon that is bred for endurance flying. The breed is characterized by long circle flights up to 15 hours. It can fly as high as 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). There are about 20,000 fanciers of this breed in Serbia.
The Madrasi Highflyer also known as Thavdal is a breed of performance pigeon developed over centuries for endurance flying. Thavdal, along with other breeds of domesticated pigeons are all descendants of the rock dove.
