Fantail (pigeon) on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Fantail is a popular 
There is a feather mutation called ''Silky'' that gives an interesting lace effect to a Fantail's tail feathers. Fantails with this mutation are known as Silky or Lace Fantails.
Fantails are often used by pigeon flyers in the training of racing pigeons and Tipplers. They are used as ''droppers'' in that they are placed on the loft landing board as a signal to the flying birds to come in and be fed.
Types of Fantail Pigeon
Pigeon breeds {{Domesticated-pigeon-breed-stub
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of fancy pigeon
Fancy pigeon refers to any breed of domestic pigeon, which is a domesticated form of the wild rock dove (''Columba livia''). They are bred by pigeon fanciers for various traits relating to size, shape, color, and behavior, and often exhibited at pi ...
. The '' American Pigeon Journal'' had special issues devoted to the breed in February 1975 and July 1977 The magazine is available for viewing in Wikipedia Commons. It is characterised by a fan-shaped tail, resembling a peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
, composed of 30 to 40 feathers, abnormally more than most members of the dove and pigeon family, which usually have 12 to 14 tail feathers. The breed is thought to have originated in Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
or Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. There are several subvarieties, such as the English Fantail, the Indian Fantail, which has a peak crest and the Thai Fantail. Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
used it as one of the examples in the first chapter of his book ''On the Origin of Species
''On the Origin of Species'' (or, more completely, ''On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life'')The book's full original title was ''On the Origin of Species by M ...
''. He believed it was a descendant 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'').
There is a feather mutation called ''Silky'' that gives an interesting lace effect to a Fantail's tail feathers. Fantails with this mutation are known as Silky or Lace Fantails.
Fantails are often used by pigeon flyers in the training of racing pigeons and Tipplers. They are used as ''droppers'' in that they are placed on the loft landing board as a signal to the flying birds to come in and be fed.
Thai Fantail
This breed was first introduced byCharles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
. They are similar to Indian Fantails, but are pure white and have ribbon-like stripes on their tails. It is difficult to breed outside of Thailand, and few people have done so. A breeder in Pakistan successfully produced striped Thai Fantails by pairing black colored males and brown colored females of different breeds.
See also
* List of pigeon breedsReferences
*External links
Types of Fantail Pigeon
Pigeon breeds {{Domesticated-pigeon-breed-stub