Fighting pigeons: video, photos, breeds

Among the breeds of pigeons, there are many groups into which they are divided depending on their purpose. The most basic are flying or racing, postal or sports and decorative.

War pigeons belong to the group of racing birds, for which their flying qualities should be the most important thing.

What does fighting pigeons mean

About the name of these birds, there are many not the most reliable rumors. Many believe that these breeds are created for some kind of special fights. But the dove is a peaceful bird, and their fight is called a kind of somersault in the air, which is accompanied by a loud sound, slightly reminiscent of clapping hands. For all their flight characteristics and the variety of tricks performed in the air, called the game, these pigeons received such an interesting name – fighting.

Origin and features

Fighting pigeons are a very ancient group of breeds. Presumably, the first such breeds appeared in the countries of Asia Minor several thousand years ago. Initially, the so-called battle was based on current flight, which is characteristic of any pigeons and their common wild progenitor, the rock pigeon. Starting a current flight, the birds gain altitude, loudly beating their wings, and then glide, bending their wings like a boat. Some birds liked to tumble in the air, reaching some peak point in flight. Games and types of flights became more and more diverse, and separate varieties of well-flying pigeons gradually formed, which cannot imagine their flight without playing (tumbling) and fighting (loud claps or wing snaps).

The most ancient are the breeds of pigeons that appeared in the territories of modern Iran and Turkey.

Much later, these birds began to be bred in Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus.

Another fairly ancient center of pigeon breeding was Central Asia. But in the XNUMXth century, many ancient rocks practically disappeared from the face of the earth. Nevertheless, in the second half of the century, an active resumption of work with flying pigeons began, and now many of the most famous and beautiful breeds find their roots in Central Asia.

These pigeons are very diverse in their appearance. Moreover, if in former times these birds were primarily valued for their flight characteristics, now more and more attention is paid to the attractive features of their exterior. The size and color of the plumage can be very diverse. Many breeds are characterized by unusual feather decorations, both on the head and on the legs and other parts of the body. But still, the most important characteristic feature that unites all pigeons of this type is the ability to fight and play various games during the flight.

Flight of war pigeons

The variety of types of flight of these pigeons is great. There are several of the most basic flight styles:

1. Pigeons rise up, making smooth circles, and at a certain height they begin to do somersaults over their heads, simultaneously flapping their wings loudly.
2. Birds are able to quickly rise into the air almost vertically, rapidly flapping their wings and making rhythmic flaps with them.
   Important! This most popular style is called pole entry.
3. Often, when entering a pole at a certain height, the birds perform backward somersaults and synchronously click their wings.
4. An equally popular and beautiful style of flight is the complete hovering of birds in the air. At the same time, the tail is beautifully straightened in the form of a fan. After that, again, smooth somersaults follow with the sound of a battle.
5. Sometimes pigeons enter the pole not quite in a straight line, but in the form of a small corkscrew, as if screwing into the air space. This style of flight is called propeller.
6. The simplest kind of flight is doing somersaults in the air with sound effects along the usual horizontal or angular trajectory. In some breeds, this style of flight is considered almost a marriage.

But no verbal descriptions can demonstrate the features of flight better than a video about fighting pigeons:

There are also certain requirements for the quality of the rolls produced and the sound effects they accompany.

• Somersaults without claps are considered failed.
• A somersault is also considered a marriage, the angle of which exceeds or greatly does not reach 360 ° C. In this case, the game loses its perfection and beauty.
• The game is considered to be of the highest quality when the sounds of claps are heard with a clear frequency.
• And, of course, these pigeons look most beautiful when they fly with a fight and somersaults in pairs. This phenomenon can be observed during the preparation of a pair for laying or during the period of feeding chicks.

The average flight time for fighting breeds can be from 3 to 6 hours. And some especially hardy breeds are able to play in the air for up to 8-10 hours in a row. Birds land most often with smooth movements in a circle, but sometimes they fall down like a stone, braking only at the very surface of the landing.

In such cases, they say that the bird is “clogged”. If young people have a tendency to flirt and lose their bearings when flying, then it is customary to reject them.

The sound of flapping wings can be so strong that it can sometimes be heard hundreds of meters away.

Breeds of fighting pigeons with photos and names

Many breeds of pigeons known today are named solely for the place they were bred. In general, there are several main large groups, according to which all known breeds are divided. These are the most ancient Iranian and Turkish pigeons. Numerous Central Asian breeds are also widely known, as well as North Caucasian breeds, the vast majority of which were bred and are bred on the territory of the modern Federation. Therefore, for Our Country, these fighting pigeons are of the greatest interest.

Each breed is distinguished not only by its peculiar appearance, but also by the characteristics of summer and combat.

Agasiev war pigeons

This breed is one of the offshoots of the Dagestan kosmach pigeons. They are one of the southernmost representatives of the North Caucasian group. Kosmachi these birds are called for the very rich plumage of the legs, reaching a length of 15 cm or more. In this case, the color of feathers can be very diverse.

Armavir war pigeons

This breed belongs to the North Caucasian group, and was bred quite a long time ago, back in the XNUMXth century. There are two varieties of it:

• Armavir white-headed kosmachi;
• Armavir short-beaked kosmachi.

Actually in the names of the breeds there is already a brief description of the appearance of birds. These pigeons are characterized by a slender figure, a thin beak, a high landing on the legs and a beautiful plumage that shimmers in the sun.

Whiteheads have a unique plumage pattern that combines many shades. But the head is always white, and the beak is long and thin. Recently, birds of this breed have been bred with a forelock on their heads.

Both varieties of Armavir kosmachs are distinguished by a good summer and an exit to the post. Only in the white-headed, the fight occurs already in the period up to a year, and in the short-beaked – later, closer to 2-3 years.

Baku war pigeons

At the moment, this breed is rightly considered one of the most common and numerous. As is obvious from the name, it was bred by pigeon breeders of the capital of Azerbaijan – Baku. When breeding Baku pigeons, the least attention was paid to the external data of birds, but they made special emphasis on its flying qualities. As a result, birds of this breed hold the record for flight duration – up to 12 hours and the variety of games and fights that they can demonstrate.

The colors of fighting Baku pigeons can be any: black, white, marble, motley. The birds are medium in size, with an oblong head, a slightly elongated body, a white thin beak, bare or shortly pubescent legs. All of them are distinguished by high adaptation to the conditions of detention, unpretentiousness, excellent parental qualities, and most importantly – high, diverse and long years.

But still, in terms of flight and combat qualities, white broad-tailed fighting pigeons are considered the most promising. They are best at exits in a column with coups.

Birds of this breed are able to gain such a significant height that they are completely hidden from view. In nature, birds do not like to stay in a flock, and therefore each individual initially has its own specific flight style.

Nevertheless, over many centuries, Baku breeders have learned how to properly handle birds so much that they are able, with one movement of the owner, to take off in flocks and, after a beautiful game in the air, land in the right place. In addition, in terms of orientation in space and the ability to find their home hundreds of kilometers away, the birds of this breed also have no equal.

Bukhara war pigeons

One of the oldest breeds of pigeons in Central Asia are Bukhara. The popular, almost completely disappeared breed of fighting pigeons, the kasans, according to many versions, originates precisely from Bukhara. They are characterized by the most diverse colors and short beaks, but most of all these birds fascinate with their beautiful play in the air.

They can easily perform almost any tricks known at the moment: go into a column more than 15 m high, do more than 10 somersaults in it, take off with a propeller, freeze like a butterfly and much more.

Iranian war pigeons

According to many sources, Iranians (or Persians) are considered the oldest breed of pigeons. They have no requirements for a specific color. There are many varieties within the breed. But the body color is usually white, and the wings are most often contrasting: green, red, gray, brown, black. The drawing on the wings is also distinguished by grace and originality.

Birds in general are characterized by a massive physique, hence the main features of their flight:

• tranquility and majesty;
• moderate fight;
• long duration – up to 10 hours;
• the ability to hover at high altitude for 2-3 minutes practically in real estate
• can easily move against the wind.

The most famous varieties of the Iranian breed are as follows:

• Persians;
• Afghans;
• hamadan
• tickled;
• Tehran;
• Tibriz;
• heady.

An interesting variety of heady fighting pigeons of the Iranian breed. These birds have a round and large head up to the neck, which can be completely painted in one color or in a variety of patterns.

It was in Persia (the territory of modern Iran) that the first shaggy-legged fighting pigeons were bred. Later, they spread to all the surrounding countries, leading to the emergence of many breeds with long and dense plumage of legs, which are now called kosmachs.

Krasnodar war pigeons

The breed was bred relatively recently, but is already very popular among pigeon breeders. Among the birds, there are two main lines: one – long-beaked, originates from Iran, the other, short-beaked, from Turkey.

The plumage is predominantly red, yellow, white or marbled. On the legs – short, but fluffy feathers.

Birds cannot yet boast of special flying qualities; usually they rarely stay in the air for more than an hour. But both the exit to the pole and the fight with somersaults are done pretty well. Breeders continue to improve the breed, but still pay more attention to the decorative characteristics of pigeons.

Leninakan war pigeons

The breed is also included in the group of Caucasian pigeons, but is distinguished by a special freedom-loving character. Birds do not tolerate confined spaces, so it is better not to keep them in cages.

They have excellent flying qualities. They can fly without interruption for up to 8 hours. The body is small but strongly built. The battle is very well heard even at a distance of 20 m or more. Pairs form early and remain faithful for life.

Leushkovo fighting pigeons

These pigeons are considered a variety of the Maikop breed. They have unusual plumage on their legs, which is why they are sometimes called birds with boots.

Maykop war pigeons

The breed of pigeons, bred in the capital of Adygea, is characterized by a short beak and large size, bulging eyes. The color of the plumage can be both two-tone and one-color. Birds are small in size with long wide wings, due to which they are excellently kept in the air. The flight is fast, the fight is loud and sharp, the exit to the pole can be sudden.

Mozdok war pigeons

The birds of this breed are slightly reminiscent in appearance and plumage pattern of the Armavir kosmachi. The beak is short, the tufts are usually of medium size, rarely reaching 15 cm. The birds do not have a written standard for appearance, since the breed is quite young. But there are certain verbal agreements about how the birds of this breed should look.

Pakistani war pigeons

Pakistani high-flying war pigeons do not have outstanding decorative properties, but they are valued for their flight features. The fight can start to show up as early as 3-4 months, but regular training is especially important. Since the birds themselves are not able to learn combat and somersaults.

Pigeons are unpretentious in keeping. They are distinguished mainly by a light color, but with a colored pattern of the back, wings and head. The tail is very long. A feature of the breed is a varied eye color. It can be blue, black, red or orange.

North Caucasian war pigeons

This is the name of a large group of pigeons, which has become widespread in the North Caucasus and includes the following breeds:

• bluish-speckled or St. George’s;
• Armavir kosmachi;
• Molokans;
• marble;
• Dagestan;
• black, yellow and red-tailed;
• blackshoulders and others.

But there is also a separate breed of North Caucasian long-billed kosmachi, which, in their flight and combat, are very similar to the Armavir white-headed pigeons. This is not surprising, since these two breeds are related to each other and have a common origin from Iranian pigeons.

North Caucasian kosmachi have a predominantly solid plumage color, although its shade can be different: white, gray-gray, red, yellow. Recently, birds with variegated or distinctly colored tails have appeared. Pronounced cosmos reach 12-15 cm. The presence of a forelock on the head is not necessary. But if it is present, then, as a rule, it is wide and thick.

The flight and entry into the column are unhurried, and during takeoff and landing, they usually intensively sort out their legs, for which they received the popular name – combers.

Central Asian war pigeons

It is also the name of a large group of breeds originating from various places in Central Asia. Pigeon breeding has been developed in this region since ancient times. But in the XNUMXth century, for historical reasons, it was almost completely lost, and then renewed again.

Central Asian war pigeons have a variety of features, but there are characteristic features that unite all the birds of this breed:

• shortened and rather thick beak;
• brilliant plumage;
• relatively small size;
• large eyes of pitch or pearl color;
• dense and varied plumage on the legs, as well as on the head.

Pillar war pigeons

Pillar pigeons are not even a breed. Rather, the peculiarity of some fighting pigeons is to “enter the pillar”, that is, to rise sharply, almost vertically, often flapping their wings and moving their legs. And at the very end of the flight, a series of somersaults back over the head is usually performed with a simultaneous fight, that is, loud sounds resembling claps. Not all fighting pigeons have the ability to “enter the pole.” This feature is highly valued among pigeon breeders.

Tajik war pigeons

A fairly well-known and well-defined breed, bred in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, and belonging to the Central Asian group.

Birds have an average body length, about 40 cm. The head is smooth, but a narrow or wider forelock is allowed in the back of the head. The straight white beak is also medium in size. Lokhma small or medium. Pigeons of this breed are able to go into a low pillar up to 5 m high. The average flight duration is 3 to 5 hours.

Turkish war pigeons

This is another world famous group of pigeons, native to Turkey. In their antiquity, they are practically not inferior to the Iranians (or Persians). Birds are characterized by small size, the presence of a forelock on the head, not too thick plumage on the legs and a wide variety of feather colors.

This group includes three main breeds:

• kalabek;
• takla;
• donek.

One of the best fighting pigeons are takla, known for their great originality in flight. Entering the column, the birds make a large number of somersaults with a fight, then fall like a stone down several meters and again rapidly rise to the same height, continuing the game.

Uzbek war pigeons

One of the most famous and highly valued breeds in the modern world. It appeared relatively recently and was based on the Bukhara breed, which was crossed with Iranian and North Caucasian pigeons to obtain ideal flying qualities and large leg plumage.

As a result, a unique breed was indeed obtained, which is famous at the same time both for its flight qualities (entering a pole, loud and rhythmic fight) and for its unique decorative properties (rich plumage of the legs, the presence of two forelocks on the head). Indeed, among the Uzbek breeds there are different colors and features of plumage, but it is the two-toed fighting pigeons that are especially popular.

In addition, about 80 different plumage colors are known for this breed of pigeons.

Keeping war pigeons

In general, fighting pigeons are characterized by excellent health and live an average of about 20 years. Some individuals in good conditions live up to 30-35 years.

Most often, birds are kept in aviaries, while at least 50 square meters should remain per pigeon. cm floor 1,5 cu. m of airspace. Perches should be even and stable, and the size of the pole should correspond to the girth of the fingers on the paws of the birds. Only in these conditions will the pigeons be able to fully relax after the flights and tune in to the next training.

The bedding should also be made of high-quality natural materials: peat, sand, tree bark or hay. It should be changed periodically.

Nutrition should be complete and determined, first of all, by the length of the beak. So short-beaked birds are best given crushed wheat, millet, as well as lentils and small peas. Long-billed pigeons are quite capable of absorbing larger types of food: corn, beans, peas, barley. The diet, especially in winter, should be supplemented with boiled potatoes, sunflower seeds, chopped vegetables. Vitamins and minerals should be regularly present: fish oil and yeast, as well as eggshells and shell rock.

By the middle of summer, pigeons usually have a molt. At this time, it is better to give the birds less food containing proteins, but to increase the amount of fat and oil-containing components.

War pigeons need regular training, both in the warm season and in winter.

War pigeon training

You should start training pigeons of this type already from 1,5-2 months of age. Moreover, it is desirable that the training was daily. The very principle of training behavior is not too complicated. The birds are simply let out of the aviary and not allowed to sit on the roof at first for at least half an hour. Gradually increase the duration of training.

For beginners, it is better to start by training birds with inconspicuous coloration and no special frills in plumage. As a rule, they are much more stable in the air and show more consistent results.

It is recommended to record the training of domestic fighting pigeons on video so that the results obtained can be compared over time.

Pigeons are considered especially valuable, capable of starting the game with a fight during the first 30 minutes of the summer with a frequency of two minutes.

Conclusion

Fighting pigeons are very interesting birds, both in terms of external features and, of course, capable of showing real miracles of acrobatics in the air. No wonder the passion for pigeons usually becomes a hobby for the rest of your life.