Hobbies And Interests
Origin
The exact origin and history of the roller pigeon is not clear. It is thought that the rolling is a genetic trait originally developed as a way to fend off attacks by predators. Centuries of selective breeding by breeders in Europe, Asia and Africa have resulted in pigeons that now roll for performance rather than for survival. The Birmingham roller pigeon, one of the most common types of roller pigeons, originated in Birmingham in England. Roller pigeons were imported to Canada from the United Kingdom in the 1800s and breeders in the United States began breeding them in the 1870s.
Appearance
With the exception of show rollers, which have heavier builds, roller pigeons look like regular pigeons in terms of size and shape. Roller pigeons come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Some of the most common colors are red, yellow, blue-bar, red-bar and red-check. Blue-bar does not mean that the pigeon is blue but instead that it has a dark body with a light-gray belly and breast, with two black stripes on each wing and a black stripe at the end of its tail. Red-bar pigeons have the same pattern as blue-bars but they have red instead of black bars. Red-check pigeons are rusty-red or brown with checker patterns on their wings, which might or might not have stripes. Breeders are regularly creating new color patterns.
Environment and Food
Roller pigeons are strong birds that can thrive with minimal care in almost all climates where humans live. Hawks and falcons are predators of roller pigeons and might attack them in the air or on the ground. With a good diet of mixed grains and water, roller pigeons can live 10 to 12 years. Their nesting season -- the period during which they build nests, lay eggs and raise their young -- runs from late winter to early summer. Roller pigeons are usually housed by breeders in several cages, which include separation pens, breeding pens and kit boxes. Kit boxes are where roller pigeons are housed as a team and trained to leave and return as a team. Their homing ability allows them to return back to their owners, where they feel safe and are fed.
Competition
Breeders selectively breed roller pigeons to increase the duration, height and quality of their rolls for competition. Roller pigeons are also bred for their ability to fly and roll simultaneously as a team with other roller pigeons. Teams of roller pigeons are usually comprised of eight to 20 pigeons. During competitions, the birds are judged on several factors, including their compact formation, simultaneous rolling, depth and quality of the rolls. Judges concentrate on three phases of rolling that judges concentrate on: the entrance to the roll, the roll itself and the recovery from the roll. Not all types of roller pigeons are bred for their ability to roll mid-air in competitions. Show rollers, for example, are bred for their appearance while parlor rollers, which do not fly, are bred for their ability to roll on the ground.