Type of pigeons

"Fancy pigeons" are the ornamental breeds people keep for their looks rather than for racing or the table — and after thousands of years of selective breeding, the variety is astonishing. Almost all of them trace back to a single wild bird, the rock pigeon, yet breeders have pulled that plain grey starting point into fan-tailed, balloon-chested, hooded and curly-feathered shapes that barely look related.

Here are ten of the best-known fancy pigeon breeds, with a clear photo of each and what makes it distinctive. One of them — the Nicobar — is actually a wild species rather than a bred variety, but it is so striking it earns its place.

At a glance: 10 fancy pigeon breeds

Breed	Where it's from	Best known for
Ice	Germany	Frosty, powder-blue plumage
African Owl	North Africa (as a show breed)	Tiny beak and a breast frill
Fantail	South Asia	A fanned tail of 30–40 feathers
Pouter	Europe	An inflatable, balloon-like crop
Frillback	Asia Minor	Curled wing-shield feathers
Lahore	Lahore, Pakistan	Large size and a coloured saddle
Nicobar	Nicobar Islands & SE Asia (wild)	Iridescent neck hackles
Jacobin	Asia	A feather hood over the head
Helmet	Europe	A coloured "cap" on a white body
Saxon Shield	Saxony, Germany	Coloured wing "shields" and muffed feet

Ice Pigeon

The Ice pigeon is one of the oldest of the German colour breeds, and its name is the whole appeal — a soft, frosty ice-blue that looks almost powdered over the feathers. Most carry two dark bars or a fine chequer across the wing, and some strains have feathered feet ("muffs") and a crest. It is a calm, easy-going bird kept almost entirely for show, and it stays a firm favourite at exhibitions for exactly that gentle, ornamental look.

African Owl Pigeon

Despite the name, the African Owl is a small show pigeon, not a bird of prey — the "owl" is all in the face. It has a tiny, stout, down-turned beak, a round head and big bold eyes, plus a distinctive frill of feathers running down the throat and breast. It comes in a wide range of colours, from white to black, blue and brown. Years of selective breeding shrank the beak and rounded the head into the look fanciers prize today.

Fantail Pigeon

The Fantail is instantly recognisable: instead of the usual 12–14 tail feathers, it carries 30 to 40, spread into an upright fan behind a puffed-out chest and a head thrown back over its shoulders. It is among the oldest fancy breeds and is kept widely across India, Pakistan, China and Spain. All that plumage is for looks rather than flight — this is a strutting show bird, and a very charming one.

Pouter Pigeon

The Pouter is the tall, balloon-chested showman of the pigeon world. It puffs its crop full of air until the upper body swells into a globe, then struts on long legs to show it off — a courtship display that breeders have exaggerated over centuries. There are many regional types across Europe with little in common beyond that inflated crop. Old lofts even kept "thief pouters," birds whose wooing was said to coax stray pigeons home; treat that as breeder lore, but it says a lot about how tame and single-minded these birds can be.

Frillback Pigeon

The Frillback is named for exactly what you see — tight curls on the feathers of the wing shield, and on the best birds, curls running down the wing and tail too. It is an old breed whose roots are usually traced to Asia Minor (modern Turkey and the surrounding region). The curl needs careful breeding to come out even and full, which is why a well-feathered Frillback is such a prized exhibition bird.

Lahore Pigeon

The Lahore is a big, calm, handsome pigeon that takes its name from the city of Lahore, in present-day Pakistan. The classic marking is a white body with a coloured "saddle" spreading over the back, wings and head — in mealy, black, blue, red and other shades — often finished with feathered feet. It was brought to Germany around the 1880s and became a favourite with European fanciers. Its size and gentle nature make it as popular a pet as a show bird.

Nicobar Pigeon

The Nicobar is the odd one out here: it is not a bred variety at all, but a wild species (Caloenas nicobarica) and the only living member of its genus. It lives on small islands from the Nicobar and Andaman group across South-East Asia, and it is stunning — long, mane-like neck hackles over a body of iridescent green and copper, finished with a short white tail. It is listed as Near Threatened, partly because it is still caught for the pet trade, so it belongs on an admiring list like this rather than in anyone's loft.

Jacobin Pigeon

The Jacobin is all about the hood. A cape of long feathers rises around the neck and folds over the head, so much so that on a top show bird the face all but disappears inside it. The name comes from the resemblance to the hooded habit of Jacobin monks. It is a very old Asiatic fancy breed, and getting that feather hood full and even takes generations of careful breeding, which is why a good one turns heads at any show.

Helmet Pigeon

The Helmet has been kept for centuries and is easy to read at a glance: a white body with a neat patch of colour over the crown — the "helmet" — usually matched by a coloured tail, and often a shell crest at the back of the head. It has had its ups and downs in popularity over the years, but it stays a favourite for that clean, capped look. It is kept purely as an ornamental show bird.

Saxon Shield Pigeon

The Saxon Shield is a German colour breed from Saxony, and the name describes it perfectly: a white bird whose wings — the "shields" — carry the colour, usually barred, along with a small coloured cap on the crown and richly feathered, muffed feet. It comes in a long list of shield colours, from the blue-barred bird above to black, red and yellow. Like most of this list, it is bred for the show pen, where the crispness of those shield markings is everything.

How much do fancy pigeons cost in India?

There is no honest single price for "a fancy pigeon," because you are paying for a specific breed, its markings and its quality — an ordinary pet-grade bird and a show-winning example of the same breed can be worlds apart. Common ornamental breeds change hands cheaply; a well-marked, exhibition-quality Fantail, Jacobin or Lahore from a known breeder costs a good deal more, and rare imports sit higher again. Anyone quoting one flat figure for a whole breed is really just guessing.

If you want a realistic read on what people are actually asking right now, we track live pigeon listings and their prices on our pigeon price page — a far better guide than any single number, because it is real sellers in real time.

More bird and pigeon guides

Curious about the wild bird all these breeds descend from? Read up on the rock pigeon. If you are thinking of keeping one, our guide to pet birds and pigeons covers the basics of cost and care, and you can check current prices any time on the pigeon price page. For a wider tour, browse our illustrated A–Z of bird names with pictures.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons under free licences: Ice pigeon — jim gifford (CC BY-SA 2.0); African Owl — jim gifford (CC BY-SA 2.0); Fantail — Just chaos (CC BY 2.0); Pouter — jim gifford (CC BY-SA 2.0); Frillback — jim gifford (CC BY-SA 2.0); Lahore — jim gifford (CC BY-SA 2.0); Nicobar — k7hpn (CC BY 2.0); Jacobin — Captaincid (CC BY-SA 4.0); Helmet — Graham Manning (CC BY-SA 3.0); Saxon Shield — Thomon (CC BY-SA 4.0).