In Portugal and also Spain many of the pigeons that you see on the streets
are actually owned by individuals! They are liberated in the morning and fly
back to there lofts to be fed at night. I witnessed this a few times while
in Lisbon.
Submitted by Raul Carreiro on 11/23/2010 8:05:03 PM
Weeks ago I was curious how to estimate the height of flying tipplers and I
started to ask around. Finally I got an answer from an anonymous fancier on
the Fauna Magazine web discussion page. Here it is, word for word, find my
remarks below:
* altitude (in meters): observation description
100-200m: pigeon body movement clearly distinguishable; wing movement
distinguishable
300-400m: the pigeon can be seen as a dot under favorable conditions; wing
movement indistinguishable
I must admit that the 'Books' were helpful to me in the beginning. You must
remember that I had no pigeon keeping knowledge back then in the early 70's
and have just a little bit more at present. The articles that my good
friend, the late Jack Prescott, wrote and had published in the old American
Pigeon Journal were of help to me also.
In regards to your question about 'One Shot Tipplers'..........Jack
Prescott, in of his many letters to me, went on to say that the 'old timers'
in the Tippler sport in the UK many years ago would train a kit with one
specific contest in mind. I would think that it would have been the Long Day
fly or maybe the fly just before it.
I was looking at my stock the other day and one thing stood out on some of
the birds, and that is the single tail look. Do you guys know what I am
talking about. Danny Boy sent me a hen that has a single tail look and I
just love that look.
I have often wondered how it comes about when others have a fuller looking
tail.
Birds that show this genetic trait are also showing other physical
characteristics that make this so . I have noticed that they also have a
smaller rump, less pronounced shall I say and in all cases in my loft, they
all have a nice tight vent under those refined rumps. The general overview
of the bird is one of greater wedge shape as a single tail really aids in
that look and feel, proportionately when speaking of a hen or a cock.
From my observations the shorter more compact birds of medium body type
tend to display this trait for the single tail look! If the tail feathers on
such a bird are spread I have noticed that the tail feathers tend to be
broader and the shafts rounder.
