The Pouter or Cropper pigeons are
domesticated
Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...
varieties of the
rock dove
The rock dove (''Columba livia''), also sometimes known as "rock pigeon" or "common pigeon", is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although the rock dov ...
, ''Columba livia'', characterized by a very large, inflatable
crop
A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel.
When plants of the same spe ...
.
They are kept as ornamental or
fancy breeds, valued for their unusual appearance. There are many varieties of pouter with little in common except for the nature of the crop. The origin of the breed group is unknown, but Pouters have been bred in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
for at least 400 years.
Common varieties
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Brunner Pouter
The Brunner Pouter is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively deve ...
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Dutch Cropper
The Dutch Cropper is the oldest and largest National fancy pigeon breed in the Netherlands.
History
As C.A.M. Spruijt points out in his 1929 book ''De Kropperrassen'', the origin of the Dutch Cropper is not very clear. He refers to Ulysses Aldr ...
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Elster Cropper
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English Pouter
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, thei ...
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Gaditano Pouter
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Ghent Cropper
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Granadino Pouter
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Holle Cropper
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Horseman Thief Pouter
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Marchenero Pouter
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Norwich Cropper
The Norwich Cropper is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. The Norwich Cropper along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the rock pigeon (''Columba livia''). The Norwich Cropp ...
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Old German Cropper
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Pigmy Pouter
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Pomeranian Pouter
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Reverse-wing Pouter
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Voorburg Shield Cropper
See also
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List of pigeon breeds
This is an alphabetical list of pigeon breeds; these are exclusively breeds of the domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''). Other Columbidae species (e.g., the Barbary dove, ''Streptopelia risoria'') have been domesticated and developed in ...
References
External links
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Pigeon breeds
Domestic pigeons
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