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Nostalgia, the origin of the modern homing pigeon
The picture of these successful homing pigeons more than half a
century ago is also a tribute to my brother, who was still able to
participate in races with homing pigeons until this year, and to my
father, who supported his sons in their shared hobby. The pigeons
were of the finest lineage! From the Ruhr region, hatched from eggs
that we were allowed to take from the transport crates as a thank
you for helping with the pigeon release in Lübeck. If memory serves,
this was also one of the best addresses for homing pigeons in
Germany: the Essen-Katernberg Racing Pigeon Club. I still remember
one cock from this line with outstanding flying ability and a
distinctive neck frill.
Performance pigeons from our own past more than half a century ago
These pigeons were not unlike those that were released from London
to various regions of England in the first 'All England Race' 1872,
originating from English fanciers. One of them even with a frill at
the breast as a reminder of the owls in their ancestry. The winners
from the different distance zones, portrayed by the renowned animal
painter Harrison Weir in 1872. Historically, they are descendants of
Belgian homing pigeons shipped to England via the port of Antwerp.
Hence the temporary name 'Antwerps' for such pigeons in England.
They do not have the heavy wattles of the English Carrier.
Source: Sell, Axel/Sell Jana: Genetik der Haustaube, Achim 2025
When heavily warted beauty pigeons are shown today in different
countries as descendants or replicas of historic messenger pigeons,
they are not pigeons in the tradition of the modern homing pigeon.
Nor are they in the tradition of the messenger pigeons from the
Orient. These were described as 'carriers' of the Turkish Empire by
Willughby in 1678, and around the same time in German literature as
post pigeons and Turkish pigeons. As can be seen in drawings of the
warted pigeons from that period, named Dragoon, Horseman, or
Scanderoon. Even these did not have such extreme wart formation as
the English Carrier, which was selected for aesthetic traits and was
a cross with Bagdettes.
Source: Sell, Axel/Jana Sell, Genetik der Haustaube, Achim 2025
It is rather detrimental to the reputation and credibility of pigeon
breeding when the connection to ancient messenger pigeons is claimed
for show pigeons with heavy warts, and even in scientific
publications and Wikipedia affiliates, the descent of the modern
homing pigeon from the English Carrier is taken for granted and if
the creation is partially moved to England.
Literature:
Sell, Axel/Sell, Jana: Genetik der Haustaube, Achim 2025
Sell, Axel, Taubenzucht. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen züchterischer
Gestaltung, Achim 2019
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