This color puzzles me.

[Margarret]

This is a bird I got about a month ago from a rehabber. It's wings had been clipped right down to almost nothing and the tail was gone, pulled out apparently. I have no idea where it came from or what had happened to it. Dog training was a possibility that was mentioned.

It looks to me like a mixed breed, what I don't have any idea. It is very young, but big. The rust color on it's back looked very much like Modena bronze to me. But now it's tail is growing in and it is definitely brown, not red like the back patches. I think it is a hen, but don't know for sure.

Does anyone have any ideas as to breed? Or what is going on with the color?

Margaret

[MaryOfExeter]

He reminds me a lot of a roller, and I think it's a boy
Not sure about the color though. The color looks similar to what a lot of my rollers have been, until you get to the tail. I don't know that I've seen that color tail with a red body that red. The tail looks sorta like something I've seen in some indigo birds. If that really red color is something like recessive red, I dont know if the tail color would bleed through that strongly? I'm trying my best to guess

[Margarret]

Thanks M. of E. for your best guess. I would have thought roller too, except s/he is huge for a roller. I haven't weighed him yet but I'd bet he is close to 400 gms. and tall as well. I'll have to get the vital statistics soon.

Margaret

[spirit wings]

found this pic of some king pigeons...but they did not say what the color of the one that looks like yours is....so maybe a king?

[jbangelfish]

As to breed, hard to say. It does have the look of a roller but so do many other breeds and crossbreeds. If the bird weighs well over a pound, that would be one huge roller.

I think the color is just ash red t pattern, called velvets. They can show some pretty nice red color but the tails are always ashy. If the tail is more brown than grey, it could be a poor quality recessive red but then only test mating would tell for sure. Can you get a better pic of the tail?

Bill

[Maggie-NC]

Margaret, that is a beautiful pigeon and it sure looks like the picture of the King that spirit wings sent. It does have the look of a King also.

[MaryOfExeter]

We had a utility Carneau (similar to the kings) that looks a bit like that too. The first cross that came to mind was actually a roller x carneau or king. Pretty bird though