Archangel (pigeon)
Encyclopedia
The Archangel is a breed
of fancy pigeon, notable for the metallic sheen of its feather
s. 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
.
Breeder
s maintain consistency within the breed by following the breed standard
.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of fancy pigeon, notable for the metallic sheen of its feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s. Archangels, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons
Domestic Pigeon
The Domestic Pigeon was derived from the 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.Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as...
, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "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
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
/ Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
.
Breeder
Breeder
A breeder is a person who practices the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same breed to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics....
s maintain consistency within the breed by following the breed standard
Breed standard
A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
.
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.