Oriental Roller

Oriental Roller
Oriental Roller
Conservation statusCommon
Other namesFlying Oriental Roller
Country of originMiddle East
Classification
Australian Breed GroupFlying breed Group 7
US Breed GroupTumbler, Roller & Flying
EE Breed GroupTumbler and Highflyer
Notes
The low carriage of the wings and high carriage of the tail are signatures of this breed.

The Oriental Roller is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Oriental Rollers, along with all other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are descended from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). [1] They were developed in Germany but originated in the Middle East. [2]

Flying style

The key hallmark of the Oriental Roller is its flying style. They show a variety of different figures in the air, which are single somersaults, double somersaults, rolling (a number of uncountable somersaults), rotation with open wings, nose dives, sudden change of direction during flight and very rarely axial turns. Some breeds fly up to 1000 m high, others stay in the air for several hours.

The aerobatics that these Oriental Rollers perform are comparable to those of the Galatz Roller and Birmingham Roller pigeons.

Characteristics

The head is rather long with a long straight beak and white eyes. Two of the unusual features is that the wings are carried below the tail, and that tail has between 14 and 20 feathers, making a slight arch.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Levi, Wendell (1977). The Pigeon. Sumter, S.C.: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. ISBN 0-85390-013-2.
  2. ^ a b Gallaher, J.C. (June 1969). "Oriental Roller Characteristics". American Pigeon Journal: 175–76.