Tumbler pigeons are varieties of domesticated

pigeons Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

that are descendants 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 ...

that have been selected for their ability to tumble or roll over backwards in flight. This ability has been known in domesticated

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 ...

s of pigeons for centuries. In Wendell Levi's book ''The Pigeon'', reference is made to pigeons with this tumbling ability existing in India before the year 1590. Charles Darwin, in his book ''The Origin of Species'', makes reference to the Short-faced Tumbler which was a popular breed during his lifetime, and still can be found exhibited at pigeon shows today. It's believed to have been a survival tactic to avoid aerial attacks by other birds. There are many different breeds that have descended from the original tumbler stocks. Some of the more popular breeds today include: * American Flying Tumbler *Anekal Rekdhar Tumbler *

Armenian Tumbler The Armenian Tumbler is a breed of tumblers that originated in Armenia, where they are bred for their color and flight. As the name suggests the Armenian Tumbler is a part of the Tumbler family. The species, like most pigeon Columbidae i ...

* Australian Performing Tumbler * Australian Saddleback Tumbler *

Berlin Short-faced Tumbler The Berlin Short-faced Tumbler is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Berlin Short-faced Tumblers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants of the rock dove (''Columba livia''). ...

Berlin Long-faced Tumbler The Berlin Long-faced Tumbler is a breed of fancy pigeon. Berlin Long-faced Tumblers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants of the rock dove The rock dove (''Columba livia''), also sometimes known as "roc ...

* Budapest Short-faced Tumbler * English Long-faced Tumbler * English Short-faced Tumbler * Felégyhaza Tumbler * Indian Tumblers * Iranian Highflying Tumbler * Komorner Tumbler * Krasnodar Tumbler * Limerick Tumblers * Portuguese Tumbler * Shiraz Tumbler * Vienna long-faced tumbler * West of England Tumbler

References

* * {{Domesticated-pigeon-breed-stub Domestic pigeons Pigeon breeds

See also

References