English Carrier

The English Carrier is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding.cite book |last=Levi |first=Wendell |title= The Pigeon|year= 1977|publisher= Levi Publishing Co, Inc|location= Sumter, S.C.|isbn=0853900132 ] English Carriers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ("Columba livia").

The breed was developed in England from the "Persian Wattle Pigeon" referred to by Moore in 1735. [Seymour, Rev. Colin (Ed)(2006) "Australian Fancy Pigeons National Book of Standards".] The largest of the flying pigeon breeds, the Old English Carrier was originally used for sending messages. Today, it is strictly a show pigeon, having been supplanted by the Racing Homer years ago. The homing ability of the Carrier has long ago ceased development.

The English Carrier is typically about 18 inches in height, with a long, slender body and thick wattle. Developed in England, probably from the Horseman (a now extinct pigeon breed), the breed was imported to America around the middle of the Nineteenth Century. At one time popular among pigeon fanciers, few now keep this impressive looking bird.

References

See also

*Carrier pigeon
*List of pigeon breeds