Fighting pigeons: video, photos, breeds

Among the breeds of pigeons, there are many groups into which they are divided depending on their purpose. The most basic ones are flying or racing, postal or sports and decorative.

Fighting pigeons belong to the group of racing birds, for which their flight qualities should be most important.

What does fighting pigeons mean?

There are many unreliable rumors about the name of these birds. Many people believe that these breeds were created for some kind of special fighting. But the dove is a peaceful bird, and their fight is a kind of somersault in the air, which is accompanied by a loud sound, slightly reminiscent of clapping hands.For all their flight characteristics and the variety of tricks they perform in the air, called game, these pigeons received such an interesting name - fighting.

Origin and features

Fighting pigeons are a very ancient group of breeds. Presumably, the first such breeds appeared in the countries of Asia Minor several thousand years ago. Initially, the so-called fight was based on current flight, which is characteristic of any pigeons and their common wild ancestor - the rock pigeon. Starting current flight, the birds gain altitude, loudly beating their wings, and then glide, bending their wings like a boat. Some birds liked to somersault in the air, reaching some peak point in flight. Games and types of flights became more and more diverse, and gradually separate varieties of well-flying pigeons were formed, which cannot imagine their flight without playing (tumbling) and fighting (loud claps or clicking of wings).

The most ancient breeds of pigeons are considered to be those that appeared in the territories of modern Iran and Turkey.

Much later, these birds began to be bred in Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus.

Another rather ancient center of pigeon breeding was Central Asia. But in the 20th century, many ancient breeds practically disappeared from the face of the earth. However, in the second half of the century, an active resumption of work with flying pigeons began, and now many of the most famous and beautiful breeds find their roots in Central Asia.

These pigeons are very diverse in their appearance. Moreover, if in former times these birds were primarily valued for their flight features, now more and more attention is being paid to the attractive features of their exterior.The sizes and colors of plumage can be very diverse. Many breeds are characterized by unusual feather decorations, both on the head and on the legs and other parts of the body. But still, the most important characteristic feature that unites all pigeons of this type is the ability to fight and play a variety of games during flight.

Flight of fighting pigeons

The variety of flight types of these pigeons is great. There are several basic flight styles:

1. Pigeons rise upward, making smooth circles, and at a certain height they begin to do somersaults over their heads, simultaneously flapping their wings loudly.
2. Birds are able to quickly rise into the air almost vertically, rapidly flapping their wings and producing rhythmic clapping.
   Important! This most popular style is called a pillar entry.
3. Often, when entering a pole at a certain height, birds perform somersaults back and simultaneously click their wings.
4. An equally popular and beautiful flight style is the complete hovering of birds in the air. At the same time, the tail spreads beautifully in the form of a fan. This is followed again by smooth somersaults with the sound of battle.
5. Sometimes pigeons enter the pole not in a completely straight line, but in the form of a small corkscrew, as if screwing into the air space. This style of flight is called propeller flight.
6. The simplest type of flight is somersaulting in the air with sound effects along a regular horizontal or angular trajectory. In some breeds, this style of flight is considered almost a defect.

But no verbal descriptions can demonstrate the features of flight better than a video about fighting pigeons:

There are also certain requirements for the quality of the somersaults produced and the accompanying sound effects.

• Somersaults without clapping are considered unsuccessful.
• A somersault is also considered a failure if the angle exceeds or falls short of 360°C. At the same time, the game loses its perfection and beauty.
• The game is considered to be of the highest quality when the sounds of clapping are heard with a clear frequency.
• And, of course, these pigeons look most beautiful when they fly fighting and somersaults in pairs. This phenomenon can be observed during the preparation of the pair for laying or during the period of feeding the chicks.

The average flight time for fighting breeds can be from 3 to 6 hours. And some especially hardy breeds are able to play in the air for up to 8-10 hours straight. Birds most often land with smooth movements in a circle, but sometimes they fall down like a stone, braking only at the very landing surface.

In such cases, the bird is said to be “slaughtered.” If young people have a tendency to play around and lose orientation when flying, then it is customary to reject them.

The sound of wing flapping can be so strong that it can sometimes be heard hundreds of meters away.

Breeds of fighting pigeons with photographs and names

Many breeds of pigeons known today are named solely by the place where they were bred. In general, there are several main large groups into which all known breeds are divided. These are the most ancient Iranian and Turkish pigeons.Numerous Central Asian breeds are also widely known, as well as North Caucasian ones, the vast majority of which were bred and are being bred on the territory of the modern Russian Federation. Therefore, for Russia these fighting pigeons are of the greatest interest.

Each breed is distinguished not only by its unique appearance, but also by its flight and fighting characteristics.

Agasievsky fighting pigeons

This breed is one of the branches of the Dagestan Kosmachi pigeons. They are one of the southernmost representatives of the North Caucasian group. These birds are called kosmachs for the very rich plumage of their legs, reaching a length of 15 cm or more. The color of the feathers can be very diverse.

Armavir fighting pigeons

This breed belongs to the North Caucasian group, and was bred quite a long time ago, back in the 17th century. There are two types of it:

• Armavir white-headed cosmachi;
• Armavir short-billed kosmachi.

Actually, the names of the breeds already contain a brief description of the appearance of the birds. These pigeons are characterized by a slender figure, a thin beak, a high set on their legs and beautiful plumage that shimmers in the sun's rays.

Whiteheads have a unique pattern in their plumage, combining many shades. But the head is always white, and the beak is long and thin. Recently, birds of this breed have been bred with a forelock on their heads.

Both varieties of Armavir kosmachi are distinguished by good summer and growth. Only in the white-headed, fighting occurs already in the period up to a year, and in the short-billed – later, closer to 2-3 years.

Baku fighting pigeons

At the moment, this breed is rightly considered one of the most widespread and numerous.As is obvious from the name, it was bred by pigeon breeders in the capital of Azerbaijan - Baku. When breeding Baku pigeons, the least attention was paid to the external characteristics of the bird, but special emphasis was placed on its flight qualities. As a result, birds of this breed are record holders for flight duration - up to 12 hours and the variety of games and fights that they can demonstrate.

The colors of fighting Baku pigeons can be any: black, white, marbled, variegated. The birds are medium in size, have an oblong head shape, a slightly elongated body, a white thin beak, and bare or short haired legs. All of them are distinguished by high adaptation to living conditions, unpretentiousness, excellent parental qualities, and most importantly, tall, varied and long years.

But still, in terms of flight and fighting qualities, white broad-tailed fighting pigeons are considered the most promising. They are best at entering the post with flips.

Birds of this breed are able to gain such a significant height that they are completely hidden from view. In nature, birds do not like to stay in a flock, and therefore each individual initially has its own specific flight style.

However, over many centuries, Baku breeders have learned to handle birds correctly to such an extent that they are able to take off in flocks with one movement of the owner and, after a beautiful game in the air, land in the right place. In addition, in terms of orientation in space and the ability to find their home hundreds of kilometers away, birds of this breed also have no equal.

Bukhara fighting pigeons

One of the oldest breeds of pigeons in Central Asia is the Bukhara.The popular, almost completely extinct breed of fighting pigeons, kasan, according to many versions, originates from Bukhara. They are characterized by a wide variety of colors and short beaks, but most of all, these birds fascinate with their beautiful play in the air.

They can easily perform almost any currently known tricks: go into a pillar more than 15 m high, do more than 10 somersaults in it, fly out with a screw, freeze in a butterfly and much more.

Iranian fighting pigeons

According to many sources, Iranians (or Persians) are considered the oldest breed of pigeons. They have no requirements for a specific color color. There are a large number of varieties within the breed. But the body color is usually white, and the wings are most often contrasting: green, red, gray, brown, black. The pattern on the wings is also distinguished by its grace and uniqueness.

Birds in general are characterized by a massive physique, hence the main features of their flight:

• calm and majesty;
• moderate fight;
• long duration – up to 10 hours;
• ability to hover at high altitude for 2-3 minutes practically in real estate
• can easily move towards the wind.

The most famous varieties of the Iranian breed are as follows:

• Persians;
• Afghans;
• Hamadan;
• tickled;
• Tehran;
• Tibriz;
• big-headed.

An interesting variety of headless fighting pigeons of the Iranian breed. These birds have a round and large head up to the neck that can be painted entirely in one color or in a variety of patterns.

It was in Persia (the territory of modern Iran) that the first shaggy-legged fighting pigeons were bred. Later they spread throughout all the surrounding countries, leading to the appearance of many breeds with long and thick feathered legs, which are now called Kosmachi.

Krasnodar fighting pigeons

The breed was developed relatively recently, but is already very popular among pigeon breeders. Among birds, there are two main lines: one is long-billed, originating from Iran, the other, short-billed, from Turkey.

The plumage is predominantly red, yellow, white or marbled. The legs have short but fluffy feathers.

The birds cannot yet boast of any special flight qualities; usually they rarely stay in the air for more than an hour. But both the entry into the post and the fight with somersaults are done quite well. Breeders continue to improve the breed, but still pay more attention to the decorative characteristics of pigeons.

Leninakan fighting pigeons

The breed is also part of the group of Caucasian pigeons, but is distinguished by its particularly freedom-loving character. Birds do not tolerate confined spaces well, so it is better not to keep them in cages.

They have excellent flight qualities. They can fly without a break for up to 8 hours. The body is small but strongly built. The battle can be heard very well even at a distance of 20 m or more. Couples form early and remain faithful for life.

Leushkovsky fighting pigeons

These pigeons are considered a variety of the Maikop breed. They have unusual feathering on their legs, which is why they are sometimes called booted birds.

Maikop fighting pigeons

The breed of pigeons, bred in the capital of Adygea, is characterized by a short beak and large size, with bulging eyes.The color of the plumage can be either two-color or monochromatic. The birds are small in size with long, wide wings, due to which they remain excellent in the air. The flight is swift, the fight is loud and sharp, the exit into the pillar can be sudden.

Mozdok fighting pigeons

Birds of this breed are slightly reminiscent in appearance and plumage pattern of the Armavir Kosmachi. The beak is shortened, the braids are usually of medium size, rarely reaching 15 cm. The birds do not have a written standard of appearance, since the breed is quite young. But there are certain verbal agreements about how birds of this breed should look.

Pakistani fighting pigeons

Pakistani high-flying fighting pigeons do not have outstanding decorative properties, but they are valued for their flight characteristics. Fighting can begin to appear as early as 3-4 months, but regular training is especially important. Because birds are not able to learn combat and somersaults on their own.

Pigeons are unpretentious in keeping. They are distinguished by a predominantly light color, but with a colored pattern on the back, wings and head. The tail is very long. A special feature of the breed is its varied eye color. It can be blue, black, red or orange.

North Caucasian fighting pigeons

This is the name of a large group of pigeons that has become widespread in the North Caucasus and includes the following breeds:

• bluish-spotted or St. George's;
• Armavir Cosmachi;
• Molokans;
• marble;
• Dagestan;
• black, yellow and red-tailed;
• black shoulder and others.

But there is also a separate breed of North Caucasian long-billed kosmachi, which in their flight and fighting are very similar to the Armavir white-headed pigeons.This is not surprising, since these two breeds are related to each other and have a common origin from Iranian pigeons.

North Caucasian kosmachi have predominantly solid plumage color, although its shade can be different: white, gray, red, yellow. Recently, birds with variegated or differently colored tails have appeared. Pronounced braids reach 12-15 cm. The presence of a forelock on the head is not necessary. But if it is present, it is usually wide and thick.

The flight and entry into the pillar is unhurried, and during takeoff and landing they usually move their legs intensively, for which they received the popular name - combers.

Central Asian fighting pigeons

It is also the name of a large group of breeds that have their origins in a variety of places in Central Asia. Pigeon farming in this region has developed since ancient times. But in the twentieth century, for historical reasons, it was almost completely lost, and then resumed again.

Central Asian fighting pigeons have very different features, but there remain characteristic features that unite all birds of this breed:

• shortened and rather thick beak;
• brilliant plumage;
• relatively small size;
• large eyes of resin or pearl color;
• dense and varied plumage on the legs, as well as on the head.

Pole fighting pigeons

Pole pigeons are not even a breed. Rather, the peculiarity of some fighting pigeons is to “enter the pillar”, that is, to rise sharply, almost vertically, often flapping their wings and moving their legs. And at the very end of the flight, a series of somersaults back over the head is usually performed with simultaneous clapping, that is, loud sounds reminiscent of clapping. Not all fighting pigeons have the ability to “enter a pillar.”This feature is highly valued among pigeon breeders.

Tajik fighting pigeons

A fairly well-known and distinct breed, bred in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, and belonging to the Central Asian group.

Birds have an average body length, about 40 cm. The head is smooth, but the presence of a narrow or wider forelock in the occipital part is allowed. The straight white beak is also of medium size. Shags are small or medium. Pigeons of this breed are able to climb into a low column up to 5 m high. The average flight duration is from 3 to 5 hours.

Turkish fighting pigeons

This is another world famous group of pigeons native to Turkey. In terms of their antiquity, they are practically not inferior to the Iranians (or Persians). Birds are characterized by their small size, the presence of a forelock on the head, not too thick feathering on the legs and a wide variety of feather colors.

This group includes three main breeds:

• kalabek;
• takla;
• Donek.

Taklas are considered one of the best fighting pigeons, known for their great originality in flight. Entering the pillar, the birds do a large number of somersaults with fighting, then they fall like a stone down several meters and again quickly rise to the same height, continuing the game.

Uzbek fighting pigeons

One of the most famous and highly valued breeds in the modern world. It appeared relatively recently and was based on the Bukhara breed, which was crossed with Iranian and North Caucasian pigeons to obtain ideal flight qualities and large feathering of the legs.

As a result, a unique breed was truly obtained, which is famous both for its flight qualities (entry into a pole, loud and rhythmic fighting) and unique decorative properties (rich feathering of the legs, the presence of two forelocks on the head). Indeed, among the Uzbek breeds there are different colors and features of plumage, but it is the two-forelocked fighting pigeons that are especially popular.

In addition, there are about 80 different plumage colors known for this breed of pigeon.

Keeping fighting pigeons

In general, fighting pigeons are characterized by excellent health and live on average about 20 years. Some individuals, in good conditions, live up to 30-35 years.

Most often, birds are kept in enclosures, with at least 50 square meters remaining per pigeon. cm floor 1.5 cu. m of air space. Perches should be level and stable, and the size of the perch should correspond to the circumference of the birds' toes. Only under these conditions will pigeons be able to fully relax after flying and get ready for the next training session.

The bedding should also be made of high-quality natural materials: peat, sand, tree bark or hay. It should be changed periodically.

Nutrition must be complete and determined, first of all, by the length of the beak. So, it is best to give short-beaked birds crushed wheat, millet, as well as lentils and small types of peas. Long-billed pigeons are quite capable of absorbing larger types of food: corn, beans, peas, barley. The diet, especially in winter, should be supplemented with boiled potatoes, sunflower seeds, and chopped vegetables. Vitamins and minerals should be present regularly: fish oil and yeast, as well as eggshells and shell rock.

By mid-summer, pigeons usually moult. At this time, it is better to give the birds less food containing proteins, but increase the amount of fats and oil-containing components.

Fighting pigeons need regular training, both in the warm season and in winter.

Fighting pigeon training

You should start training pigeons of this type from 1.5-2 months of age. Moreover, it is desirable that the training be daily. The principle of training behavior itself is not too complicated. The birds are simply released from the enclosure and are not allowed to sit on the roof first for at least half an hour. Gradually the duration of training is increased.

For beginners, it is better to start by training birds with inconspicuous colors and without any special refinements in plumage. As a rule, they remain much more stable in the air and show more consistent results.

It is recommended to film the training of domestic fighting pigeons so that the results obtained can be compared over time.

Pigeons that are able to start fighting during the first 30 minutes of summer at intervals of two minutes are considered especially valuable.

Conclusion

Fighting pigeons are very interesting birds, both from the point of view of external features and, of course, capable of showing real miracles of acrobatics in the air. It is not for nothing that a passion for pigeons usually becomes a hobby for the rest of one’s life.

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